Albrecht Pfister
Encyclopedia
Albrecht Pfister was one of the very first European printers to use movable type
, following its invention by Johannes Gutenberg. Working in Bamberg
, Germany, he is believed to have been responsible for two innovations in the use of the new technology: printing books in the German language, and adding woodcuts to printed books. Very little is known of his life. He is known to have been a cleric in Bamberg in 1448, and to have been connected with Georg I von Schaumberg at that time. By 1460 he was acting as secretary to von Schaumberg, who in 1459 had become prince-bishop
of Bamberg.
Nine editions are generally ascribed to him. All are believed to date to the 1460s, and possibly all to the early 1460s. These are (not in chronological order):
The earlier edition of the Ackermann may have been his first work, and thus both the first illustrated book, and the first book in German, printed with movable type. Its woodcuts are rather crude, are hand-coloured, and are occasionally slightly missplaced on the page. The Belial is the only one of the nine books without woodcut illustrations. Only two of the editions have dates printed in them: the earlier of the two Edelsteins (1461) and the History (1462). Like other very early printers, he concentrated on titles which had already proved popular in manuscript
form.
In addition he has been suggested as the printer of the 36-line Bible
of 1458-60. This view has not been favoured by scholars for a century or so, principally because of the superior quality of the Bible's printing, especially compared with Pfister's earliest productions. However the Bible was probably printed in Bamberg, with the D-K type
which Pfister later made use of, and which had originated with Gutenberg.
Movable type
Movable type is the system of printing and typography that uses movable components to reproduce the elements of a document ....
, following its invention by Johannes Gutenberg. Working in Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
, Germany, he is believed to have been responsible for two innovations in the use of the new technology: printing books in the German language, and adding woodcuts to printed books. Very little is known of his life. He is known to have been a cleric in Bamberg in 1448, and to have been connected with Georg I von Schaumberg at that time. By 1460 he was acting as secretary to von Schaumberg, who in 1459 had become prince-bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
of Bamberg.
Nine editions are generally ascribed to him. All are believed to date to the 1460s, and possibly all to the early 1460s. These are (not in chronological order):
- two editions of the popular religious work Der Ackermann aus Bohmen in German
- two editions of Ulrich BonerUlrich BonerUlrich Boner, or Bonerius, , was a German-speaking Swiss writer of fable.He was born in Bern, descended of an old Bernese family and, as far as can be ascertained, took clerical orders and became a monk; yet as it appears that he subsequently married, it is certain that he received the tonsure...
's Der Edelstein in German - two editions of a Biblia pauperumBiblia pauperumThe Biblia pauperum was a tradition of picture Bibles beginning in the later Middle Ages. They sought to portray the historical books of the Bible visually. Unlike a simple "illustrated Bible", where the pictures are subordinated to the text, these Bibles placed the illustration in the centre,...
in German - a Biblia pauperum in Latin
- a History of Joseph, Daniel, Judith and Esther in German
- an edition of the Belial of Jacobus de TeramoJacobus de TeramoJacobus Palladinus de Teramo , a member of the powerful family of Palladini, was an Italian canon lawyer and bishop. His birthplace, Teramo, was then part of the Kingdom of Naples .-Life:...
in German
The earlier edition of the Ackermann may have been his first work, and thus both the first illustrated book, and the first book in German, printed with movable type. Its woodcuts are rather crude, are hand-coloured, and are occasionally slightly missplaced on the page. The Belial is the only one of the nine books without woodcut illustrations. Only two of the editions have dates printed in them: the earlier of the two Edelsteins (1461) and the History (1462). Like other very early printers, he concentrated on titles which had already proved popular in manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
form.
In addition he has been suggested as the printer of the 36-line Bible
36-line Bible
The 36-line Bible, also known as the "Bamberg Bible" and sometimes called a "Gutenberg Bible", is the second printed edition of the Bible, after the Gutenberg Bible. It is believed to have been printed in Bamberg, Germany, about 1458-60...
of 1458-60. This view has not been favoured by scholars for a century or so, principally because of the superior quality of the Bible's printing, especially compared with Pfister's earliest productions. However the Bible was probably printed in Bamberg, with the D-K type
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
which Pfister later made use of, and which had originated with Gutenberg.