Johannes Mentelin
John Mentelin, sometimes Mentlin, (* 1410 in Schlettstadt, † December 12, 1478 in Strasbourg ) was a German book printer and bookseller of the incunabula period. In 1466 he published the first printed Bible in the German language ( Mentelin Bible ).
Life
John Mentelin acquired in 1447, the Strasbourg Civil Rights. He first knew the profession of a " gold writer " ( calligrapher and book writer ) and further works as episcopal notary. When and where he learned the art of printing, is not known. Since the end of the 1450s, as Mentelin justified his Strasbourg printing, but was still printed at no other place than in Mainz, it is likely that he either received his knowledge directly there or through an intermediary. Such a mediator could have been Henry Eggestein. From it is believed that he was introduced during a stay in Mainz by Gutenberg in the book printing trade. His own Offizin taught Eggestein but until the mid- 1460s. In the absence of sources, the final clarification of this issue must fail for the time being. From the available data, however, it can be concluded that John Mentelin worked as a first printer and Strasbourg before Heinrich Eggestein.
The first pressure is called Mentelins name is Augustine's Tractatus de arte praedicandi from the year 1465, it is assumed, however, that John Mentelin began much earlier to print, probably even 1458 His oldest known printing unit is a 49. . - zeilige Latin Bible ( " B49 " ), the first volume is dated 1460.
John Mentelin was quickly granted business success, which made him a wealthy man. In 1466 he was even a coat of arms of Emperor Friedrich III. give. After about 20 years of printing activity Mentelin died on December 12, 1478 in Strasbourg. He was buried in the cemetery of the ( defunct ) St. Michael's Chapel. Later, his body was transferred to the Strasbourg Cathedral. His two daughters married the printers Martin Schott and Adolf Rusch. The latter, also called the printer with the bizarre R, took over the management the dispensary.
Work
John Mentelins Strasbourg Offizin be associated with about 40 prints. His printing and publishing program included mainly theological and philosophical writings in Latin, for the text of purity ensured learned correctors. Among other things, they have performed works of Augustine, Aquinas, Aristotle, John Chrysostom, Isidore of Seville and Albertus Magnus for output. But also classical texts of antiquity (eg Virgil's Opera and the Comoediae of Terence ) were published. As the only German book printer Mentelin printed medieval courtly seals, such as the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and the younger Titurel of Albrecht von Scharfenberg.
But was outstanding in 1466 his first edition of the Bible in the vernacular, called Mentelin Bible, one of the first printed in German language books. The Mentelin Bible was reprinted thirteen more times by different printers in southern Germany to the Luther Bible.