Scrivener

The job of a writer (Latin: Actuarius ) as one of the write and read art mighty transformed in the course of human history in its meaning and significance on several occasions.

Mesopotamia

The art of own or foreign thoughts, religious texts, or even simply the (country) economic accounting by by agreement fixed set characters (letters ) to provide visible and lasting expression, was a major achievement of the early civilizations. In Mesopotamian Sumer, archaeologists have the oldest, dating back to the 4th millennium BC, clay tablets with hieroglyphics found. The origins of this wedge-shaped characters are in a picture-writing, which continued to develop according to descriptive writing. People who dominated these skills were part of the upper class, or came from, because the training was expensive and writers were required primarily for government functions, such as tax lists. Royal scribe had held a position of trust, but they often gave confidential messages again, and their work was not verifiable by everyone. Also, contracts between individuals as well as money debts were recorded in writing.

In Mesopotamia, Nabu was the patron god of the scribes. Several texts praise the career of the writer. "Be zealous in the art of writing, it is provided you with wealth and luxury ," calls into several variations from the library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, and from Kish traditional text. Such texts probably served primarily as school texts.

The Office inherited often by the father to the son, but there were also sons, who opposed such a career.

In Mesopotamia, Ashurbanipal was the only king of the, by its own account, could read and write and self-possessed rare and unusual characters. As a Neo-Assyrian letter of Sin -na ʿ di occupied, in which he asks the King, the governor of Arrapha or to instruct a certain Ashur - belu - taqqin to assign him a clerk occupied, but could write more people than is commonly thought. Sin -na ʿ dis letter is readable, but he used unusual syllabic signs and VK characters instead of the preferred KVK characters.

Egypt

The origins of the so-called " writing the words of God ", the oldest finds from the period around 3500 BC ( Naqada III) in Abydos come ), lying in a pictographic script, similar to the more developed to the loud descriptive writing. The profession of the writer was, as stated in the ancient Egyptian doctrine of Khety, coupled with great privileges. Imhotep, the writer of King Djoser, was raised to divine rank.

Scribe

As the scribes were less the writer, but rather the described himself in the writings Auskennenden. They belonged to the courtly or clerical upper class, with from about 800 AD, the monasteries, first, instrumental in spreading the art of writing had only share within its walls. Many monks ( often nuns ) were appointed to the courts to act as clerk of the territorial lords.

Reputation of the writer

Prestige and number of literate increased in the high and late Middle Ages steadily due to the flower of chivalry, the onset of long-distance trade and hence the money economy and the emergence of the bourgeoisie. The writer is a chronicler and note-taker for deed Author and Bible copiers, sometimes for writers and as town clerk even the highest officials of the city. With the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1450, ie in the transition from medieval to modern times, the profession of the scribe quickly loses its meaning.

Scribe today

Since the beginning of the 16th century in the countries with a European culture writing prowess heard more and more commonplace, so it is no longer regarded as an art in the higher sense of the word, but only as a skill. The manuscripts composing writer disappears from the use of language, the literary writer is called the editor, writer, author, and author. Works for others who are issued under their name are written by ghostwriters, which also includes speechwriters fall. Some writers specialize in calligraphy.

In France there are still an estimated 300 professional public scribes, with the least can live solely on their writing activity. Orders are often resumes and applications from foreign companies, every now and then disgruntled customer complaint letters, rare personal letters that require special flair. Also order Biographies are a field of activity. At the University of Paris III and the University of Toulon -Var the subject of public scribe can be completed with a diploma. To this end, many volunteers, foreigners and people come up with writing difficulties with administrative support and hold office hours in town halls.

In countries with high illiteracy rates, the profession of the writer, however, is still unknown. There currently be especially mobile phones with cheap rates shrink the orders. In contrast, agreed to meet with advent of the landline telephone, where usually several families shared a camera, so some by letter to the telephone rendezvous. Also in communication with the authorities today are often mobile phones in use.

Various writers

Even today, a distinction is made letter-writer, lyricist, newspaper writers. Today's occupations in which writing plays a significant role, are about the stenographer, the secretary, the speechwriter and ghostwriter.

Town Clerk

In some cities (for example, Mainz and Frankfurt am Main ), there is in modern times, a city clerk, who for a fixed number of years, with a fixed salary and housing, free from financial distress can pursue his literary inclinations.

Ship clerk

The cruise operator Hapag -Lloyd awarded in 2006 for the first time the location of a ship clerk. A selected writers (2006 Hamburger author Matthias Politycki ) in this case was given the opportunity on a six-month trip around the world with the five- star ship Europe meet land and sea from the perspective of a floating luxury hotels and to be able to look behind the scenes of the official board program.

Court clerk

A court clerk, also called Actuar or secretary, was an official who recorded the negotiations of an authority or a court in writing. The Clerk was initially only secretary, but received in the course of time, independent judicial powers, particularly in the voluntary jurisdiction. In Germany, this activity is now carried out among others by the clerk, in addition, were from 1923 Schreiber, where additional functions are delegated, according to " Prussian relief available " referred to as " judicial officer ". In Switzerland, clerk of the court are trained lawyers who participate in the trial and are involved in decision making. Finally, write the written reasons for the judgment.