Günther Zainer (or Zeyner or Zeiner) (died 1 October 1478) was the first printer in

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

, where he worked from 1468 until his death; he produced about 80 books including two German editions of the Bible and the first printed calendar. He came to Augsburg from

Strassburg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the E ...

and printed in 1472–76 three large works of moral instruction. He also printed the first large illustrated book,

Jacobus de Voragine Jacobus de Voragine (c. 123013/16 July 1298) was an Italian chronicler and archbishop of Genoa. He was the author, or more accurately the compiler, of the '' Golden Legend'', a collection of the legendary lives of the greater saints of the medi ...

's ''Legenda aurea'' in 2 volumes with 131 woodcuts, 1471–76. Johann Zainer, the first printer in Ulm, was probably his brother.

Life

Günther Zainer was related to

Johann Zainer Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...

, a printer at Ulm, perhaps his brother. In 1463 he married Agnes Krieg at Straßburg and was a painter and goldsmith in that town. He probably learnt to print from Johannes Mentelin. In 1468 he began to print in Augsburg. In 1472 he was a burger of Augsburg. Zainer was one of the printers of the new printing shop in the Augsburg St. Ulrich's and St. Afra's Abbey.

Works

About 80 books are known to have been printed by Zainer, of which most were for the use of the clergy. Zainer also printed popular literature in German, works on building and medicine and calendars. In 1468 '' Meditationes vitae domini'' was the first book he is known to have printed. The German edition of the ''

Legenda Aurea The ''Golden Legend'' (Latin: ''Legenda aurea'' or ''Legenda sanctorum'') is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that was widely read in late medieval Europe. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived.Hilary ...

'' of

, was the first illustrated book he printed. In 1471/72 Zainer made the first printed edition of the extremely popular '' Der Heiligen Leben''.Marianne E. Kalinke, ''The Book of Reykjahólar: The Last of the Great Medieval Legendaries'' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1996), p. 4. In 1472 appeared the ''

Etymologiae ''Etymologiae'' (Latin for "The Etymologies"), also known as the ''Origines'' ("Origins") and usually abbreviated ''Orig.'', is an etymological encyclopedia compiled by Isidore of Seville (c. 560–636) towards the end of his life. Isidore was ...

'' of

Isidore of Seville Isidore of Seville ( la, Isidorus Hispalensis; c. 560 – 4 April 636) was a Spanish scholar, theologian, and archbishop of Seville. He is widely regarded, in the words of 19th-century historian Montalembert, as "the last scholar of ...

About 1475 he printed a German edition of the Bible, with a second edition in 1477. Günther Zainer’s printing was of high quality, as to paper, presswork and typefaces: 32 illustrated books and

broadside Broadside or broadsides may refer to: Naval * Broadside (naval), terminology for the side of a ship, the battery of cannon on one side of a warship, or their near simultaneous fire on naval warfare Printing and literature * Broadside (comic ...

s with altogether 100 illustrations testify to his interest in decoration. His first German Bible is decorated with 73 ornamental initials.

References

Bibliography

* Falkenstein, Karl: ''Geschichte der Buchdruckerkunst in ihrer Entstehung und Ausbildung''. Leipzig 1840; p. 157 * Funke, Fritz: ''Buchkunde''. München-Pullach 1969; pp. 86; 164; 226; 228

External links

*
''Liber margarita Dauitica seu, Expositio Psalmorum'', Augsburg, G. Zainer, 1475?
– digital version

at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

. Scroll through the collection to see 28 works by Zainer. {{DEFAULTSORT:Zainer, Gunther German printers Printers of incunabula 1478 deaths Year of birth unknown Medieval German merchants 15th-century German businesspeople