Cosmographia (Sebastian Münster)

Cosmographia has been called, among other things Sebastian Münster (1488-1552) his major work in the field of cosmography. It was the first scientific yet understandable description of the knowledge of the world in German language, in which the basics of history and geography, astronomy and science, state and folklore have been summarized after the then state of knowledge. Cosmographia is the Latin form of Greek kosmographía " description of the world " ( kósmos "world order", " universe "; gráphein "write" ).

Under cosmography is defined as the science of the description of the earth and of the universe; belonged to the late Middle Ages to also geography, geology and astronomy (see cosmology of the Middle Ages ). Sebastian Münster is one of the famous cosmographers the Renaissance, along with Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Martin Behaim (1459-1507), Martin Waldseemüller ( 1472/75-1520 ), Peter Apianus ( 1495-1552 ) and Gerhard Mercator ( 1512-1594 ).

Formation

After his studies in theology, Greek, Hebrew, mathematics, geography, cosmography and astronomy worked as a university lecturer in Heidelberg Sebastian Münster, among others, from 1521 to 1529. Already at that time ( 1524) suggested the Alsatian humanist Rhenanus to ( 1485-1547 ), Sebastian Münster was to summarize his knowledge of the complete works of cosmography. But only in time to his academic work in Basel (from 1529) and after he was freed by his marriage with Anna yourself, the Basel typographer Adam Petri widow of worries, he was able to dedicate themselves to this great project and his enthusiasm for geography. This resulted in a preparation period of about twenty years of his Cosmographia, had worked on the claims to have more than 120 " persons of rank, scholars and artists."

In the introduction to one of his books Munster writes modestly, but quite confidently: " For my work, I expect neither reward nor honor, but to me the awareness to have burgeoned with the pounds that God gave me enough. "

Title and contents

The German -language work includes six books, " a description of the whole world with all that is in them ." The first editions from 1544 to 1548 bear the Latin title Cosmographia, spending 1550 to 1614 the German title Cosmographei or Cosmographey. Expenditures from 1615 to 1628 have again the title Cosmographia.

The full title of the first edition of 1544 reads:

From the first edition of Sebastian Münster Cosmographia has attached a letter of dedication to the Swedish king Gustav I Vasa Ericson, dated " Basel on August 17, 1544 " without his motives could be determined for this purpose.

In the first book the main features of the physical and mathematical and astronomical geography are presented. The following books contain descriptions countries: South and West Europe (2nd book), Germany (3rd book), Northern and Eastern Europe ( Book 4 ), Asia and the new islands ( Book 5 ), Africa ( 6 book ).

Swell

His knowledge was referring Sebastian Münster from travelogues and stories of various scholars, geographers, cartographers and by sea. He drew on literary works that were more or less credible. Marco Polo counted as his sources, such as the report of the ( fictional) Knight Jehan de Mandeville about India and China, which was published in 1356 in Liege. So Münster described gradually also a fabulous world in which occur the strangest creatures, such as humans with dog heads, Großfüßler, Blemmyes, double -headed, and fabulous animals and sea monsters. Most of these creatures are depicted on woodcuts in the Cosmographia.

Harmless was the collection and research on other cities, countries and not morals. The theologian Sigismondo Arquer example, complained in his travelogue of Sardinia, which he had provided for the Münster Cosmographia about the intolerance and greed of the Church. After his work was translated into Italian, he had to justify before the Inquisition and burned at the stake. 1544 appeared the first edition of the Cosmographia, printed in the dispensary of Heinrich Petri in Basel. Heinrich Petri was a son from his first marriage to his wife with the Basel printer Adam Petri.

Munster had to sort out their credibility and critically consider what he wanted to apply as a description of the world to him arriving on stories. In this way, for example, suffers from the report on the size of the pyramids in Egypt, in Minster representation are described, considerably smaller. Are accompanied by reports from the then-known continents and countries of numerous self-drawn maps of Minster. The world map, the Munster had already drawn in 1532 for the Cosmographia, interpreted the new American continent 40 years after its discovery only on the edge, and is, ten years after the circumnavigation by Ferdinand Magellan, by the reality far away.

At the end of Münster Cosmographia asks the reader not to reject the whole work because of some common error or differing opinions, but keep in mind that it is impossible to anyone to write to please.

That he has not worked exclusively in the office and after second-hand, shows his chapter on the mines. It shows that he has the silver mine Rumpapump visited " Hornung in 1545 " for the study of mining in Alsace.

Dissemination

The work was translated into many languages ​​and experienced many new editions. After the first edition of 1544 was followed by the second in 1545, the third in 1546, fourth in 1548 and 1550, the fifth edition, each supplemented by new reports and details, text, pictures, city views and maps, and a total revised.

While the first edition of 1544 only 660 pages was strong, revised edition 900 pages and the last ever printed edition of 1628 contained the last of Münster personally in 1550 already almost 1,800 pages. In the dispensary of the Petri family in Basel created in this way in 84 years, about 50,000 copies in German language and about 10,000 copies in Latin. Among the total of 46 issues were 27 German, eight Latin, three French, three in Italy, four English edits and a Czech edition. Thus, the Cosmographia had become next to the Bible to the most widely read book in Germany.

The cost of a bound work amounted at the 5th edition of 2 guilders, of which about 0.4 guilders accounted for booksellers.

Importance

Sebastian Münster Cosmographia issued with the first time a joint effort by learned historians and artists, publishers, carvers and engravers. The town views have been drawn from nature or cut at least according to realistic models in wood. Münster has summarized the knowledge attainable his time in a book and provided with simple images that should facilitate understanding. With the expenses of the Cosmographia has been set for the furnishing of cities books quantitatively and qualitatively, a new scale.

Template draftsman and engraver

Among the most famous signers of the town views, which could be determined by their monograms include:

• Hans Rudolf Manuel German (1525-1571) with the monogram HRMD, RMD or RM in ligature;
• Jakob Clauser or Klauser (1520-1578) with the monogram IC, IK, in ligature;
• David Kandel (around 1538-1587 ) with the monogram DK, also occurring in ligature;
• Monogrammist HSD, which is assumed that he comes from Worms.

The most common form Schneider, who contributed to the Cosmographia, are:

• Heinrich Holzmüller, 1550 Goldsmith and trimmer in Bern and Basel, with the sign HH or HHF;
• Jerome Wyssenbach Basiliensis, shape cutters in Basel, with the sign HWB;
• Master M. G., et al of has made ​​the woodcut of Amberg;
• Gregorius Sickinger (around 1558-1631 ), painter, draftsman, form cutter, etcher and engraver from Solothurn, with the mark GS; he is said to have worked from 1578 at the expenses of the Cosmographia as a form cutter.