Joseph Meyer (1796–1856), who had founded the publishing house Bibliographisches Institut in 1826, intended to issue a universal encyclopaedia meant for a broad public: people having a general knowledge as well as businessmen, technicians and scholars, considering contemporary works like those of Pierer and Brockhaus to be superficial or obsolete.

The first part of Das Grosse Conversations-Lexikon für die gebildeten Stände ("Great encyclopaedia for the educated classes") appeared in October 1839.

There is no indication of the planned number of volumes or a time limit for this project, but little headway had been made by the otherwise dynamic Meyer.

Ultimately numbering 52 volumes, Das Grosse Conversations-Lexikon für die gebildeten Stände was the most comprehensive completed German encyclopedia of the 19th century, also called "der Wunder-Meyer" (The marvellous Meyer).

[1] The son of Joseph Meyer, Hermann Julius (1826–1909), published the next edition (which is officially the first), entitled Neues Conversations-Lexikon für alle Stände, 1857–60, that would only count 15 volumes.

To avoid a long-time project, subscribers were promised it would be completed within three years, and all volumes appearing later would be given free.

The 9th edition, now from Mannheim, entitled Meyers Enzyklopädisches Lexikon in 25 Bänden (in 25 volumes), appeared in 1971–79.