Johann Amerbach
| Johann Amerbach | |
|---|---|
| File:Gw11 0002871 20131118 001.jpg | |
| Born | Johann Welcker 1444 Amorbach, Germany |
| Died | 25 December 1514 Basel |
| Occupation | Printer |
| Relatives | Son: Bonifacius Amerbach |
Johann Amerbach (1444 in Amorbach, Germany; 25 December 1514 in Basel, Switzerland[1]) was a celebrated printer in Basel in the 15th century. He was the first printer in Basel to use the Roman type instead of Gothic and Italian and spared no expense in his art.
Biography
Amerbach was born in 1444 as Johann Welcker in Amorbach, Odenwald.[2] In 1477 he settled in Basel, where he was given the surname Amerbach.[2] Later he was employed in the printing house of Anton Koberger in Nürnberg, which whom he closely cooperated also after he established his own printing house in 1483.[3] In 1484 he earned the citizenship of Basel[4] and became the city's most important printer, developing own distribution channels towards Strasbourg and Paris.[5] Additionally he usually visited the fair in Frankfurt am Main twice a year, often accompanied by other printers of Basel.[5] Many of his clients were of a christian religious background and he mainly printed theological books.[5] A further cooperation with the printer Anton Koberger from Nuremberg, opened the market towards Eastern and Southern Europe for his books.[5] By 1486, he was the first printer in Basel, to have used the then modern Antiqua type for printing[5] which caused a surge in published books authored by humanists.[5] Between 1487 and 1500, he diversified and more frequently published in the German language.[5] He owned two printing houses, one on each side of the Rhine in Basel.[6] In 1490 Amerbach bought the house "to the chair" in the centre of Basel where he opened an additional printing house[2] and by 1496 he founded together with Johannes Petreius and Johann Froben an alliance of three printers in which most of the costs for printing books was divided between either two or three printers.[5] Larger projects like the collected works of Augustinus the three published together[7] for smaller projects they relied on themselves.[7] Even though he sold the printing house in the House to the Chair to Froben in 1507,[7] the alliances cooperation would last until 1512.[5] His successor would be Johann Froben, a close friend to Erasmus of Rotterdam.[3] During his lifetime, he assembled an extensive library which would be included in the Amerbach-Cabinet by his grandson Basilius Amerbach.[3]
Personal life
He was married to Barbara Ortenberg and the father of Basilius Amerbach ("the Elder", 1488–1535) and of Bonifacius Amerbach (1495–1562, father of Basilius Amerbach the Younger).[1] He was buried in the Monastery St. Margarethental.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Merian, Wilhelm (1917), p.144
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Das Haus zum Sessel" p.2
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Further reading
- Alfred Hartmann (editor), Die Amerbachkorrespondenz, vol. 1, Verlag der Universitätsbibliothek Basel, Basel 1942, ISBN 978-3-7965-1832-4, ISBN 978-3-7965-1847-8
- Barbara C. Halporn (editor), The Correspondence of Johann Amerbach, University of Michigan Press, November 2000, hardcover, 400 pages, ISBN 0-472-11137-X
