Johann Heynlin
Encyclopedia
Johann Heynlin (c. 1425 – March 12, 1496) was a German
-born scholar, humanist
, and theologian who introduced the first printing press
to Paris (and France
in general) in the late fifteenth century.
Born in Stein near Pforzheim (from Stein, meaning "stone" in German
, are derived his translated Latinized surname Lapideus and Gallicized surnames La Pierre or à Lapide), Heynlin may have been of Swabia
n origin. On the completion of his academic studies in Germany
, presumably at Leipzig
and Freiburg
, he proceeded to Paris
to pursue the study of philosophy
and theology
. Here he came in contact with the foremost representatives of Realism
, who, recognizing Heynlin's abilities and probable future influence, exerted their powers to the utmost to mould his mind after their own and thus make him like themselves a bitter opponent of Nominalism
. Their efforts were successful.
In 1464 Heynlin went to the University of Basel
and applied for admission to the professorial faculty of arts. The old controversy regarding the nature of Universals
had not yet subsided and in the university of Basel Nominalism held sway. Hence in view of this and the maintenance of peace within the institution, the admission of Heynlin to the faculty was not accomplished without a most vigorous opposition.
Once a member of the faculty he hoped to rid it of all Nominalistic tendencies nor was he disappointed in his expectation. In 1465 he became dean of the faculty of arts and in this capacity he revised the university statutes and thus brought about a firmly established curriculum of studies. In 1466 he returned to Paris
, obtained the doctorate in theology
, was in 1469 elected rector of the university and became professor of theology at the Sorbonne.
. Heynlin worked closely with Guillaume Fichet
(1433-ca. 1480), another professor at the Sorbonne, who had also come from abroad: from Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières
, in Savoy
.
Heynlin brought Swiss workmen to install this press in the buildings of the Sorbonne
at the end of 1469 or the beginning of 1470: Ulric Gering (Guerinch or Guernich) (1445-1510), Michel Friburger, and Martin Crantz (or Krantz). Ulric Gering may have come from Münster
, Friburger from Colmar
, and Crantz may have also come from Münster or Strasbourg
. Heynlin gave valuable pecuniary aid to their undertakings, especially for the printing of the works of the Church Fathers
. King Louis XI
granted letters of naturalization to all three workmen in 1475.
Their first publication with this press, and the first book printed in France, was a collection of letters by the fifteenth century grammarian Gasparinus de Bergamo
(Gasparin de Pergame). The Epistolae Gasparini (1470) were intended to provide an exemplar for students for the writing of artful and elegant Latin
. Their second work was a translation of Sallust
(1470-1471), the third the Orationes of Bessarion (1471), and the fourth was Fichet's own Rhetorica in 1471. The number of the works which they published from 1470 to 1472 amounts to some thirty works.
At the end of 1472 or at the beginning of 1473, Heynlin and Fichet left the Sorbonne to settle on Rue Saint-Jacques. Two of their apprentices, Pierre de Kaysere (Petrus Caesaris) and Jean Stoll, established around the same time and on the same street their own competing printing press, with the emblem of the Soufflet-Vert.
attached himself to Heynlin, whom he followed to the young University of Basel
in 1474.
In 1478 he was called to teach theology
in the newly founded University of Tübingen, where his learning, eloquence and reputation secured for him the same year the rectorship. The opposition, however, he met from the Nominalists Gabriel Biel
, Paul Scriptoris
, and others, rendered his service here of short duration. He severed his connexion with the university, proceeded to Baden-Baden
and thence to Berne
, where he engaged in preaching. Dissatisfied with Berne he returned to Basel, and tired of wandering, he entered in 1487 the Carthusian Monastery of St. Margarethenthal to spend his declining years in prayer and literary work.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born scholar, humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, and theologian who introduced the first printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
to Paris (and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in general) in the late fifteenth century.
Born in Stein near Pforzheim (from Stein, meaning "stone" in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, are derived his translated Latinized surname Lapideus and Gallicized surnames La Pierre or à Lapide), Heynlin may have been of Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n origin. On the completion of his academic studies in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, presumably at Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
and Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, he proceeded to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to pursue the study of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. Here he came in contact with the foremost representatives of Realism
Philosophical realism
Contemporary philosophical realism is the belief that our reality, or some aspect of it, is ontologically independent of our conceptual schemes, linguistic practices, beliefs, etc....
, who, recognizing Heynlin's abilities and probable future influence, exerted their powers to the utmost to mould his mind after their own and thus make him like themselves a bitter opponent of Nominalism
Nominalism
Nominalism is a metaphysical view in philosophy according to which general or abstract terms and predicates exist, while universals or abstract objects, which are sometimes thought to correspond to these terms, do not exist. Thus, there are at least two main versions of nominalism...
. Their efforts were successful.
In 1464 Heynlin went to the University of Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
and applied for admission to the professorial faculty of arts. The old controversy regarding the nature of Universals
Universal (metaphysics)
In metaphysics, a universal is what particular things have in common, namely characteristics or qualities. In other words, universals are repeatable or recurrent entities that can be instantiated or exemplified by many particular things. For example, suppose there are two chairs in a room, each of...
had not yet subsided and in the university of Basel Nominalism held sway. Hence in view of this and the maintenance of peace within the institution, the admission of Heynlin to the faculty was not accomplished without a most vigorous opposition.
Once a member of the faculty he hoped to rid it of all Nominalistic tendencies nor was he disappointed in his expectation. In 1465 he became dean of the faculty of arts and in this capacity he revised the university statutes and thus brought about a firmly established curriculum of studies. In 1466 he returned to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, obtained the doctorate in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, was in 1469 elected rector of the university and became professor of theology at the Sorbonne.
Heynlin's printing press
Heynlin's most noteworthy achievement was the establishment of the first printing-press in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Heynlin worked closely with Guillaume Fichet
Guillaume Fichet
Guillaume Fichet was a French scholar who cooperated with Johann Heynlin to establish the first printing press in France in 1470.-Biography:He was born in Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières, in Savoy...
(1433-ca. 1480), another professor at the Sorbonne, who had also come from abroad: from Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières
Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières
Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières, commonly referred to as Petit-Bornand, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-People:...
, in Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
.
Heynlin brought Swiss workmen to install this press in the buildings of the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
at the end of 1469 or the beginning of 1470: Ulric Gering (Guerinch or Guernich) (1445-1510), Michel Friburger, and Martin Crantz (or Krantz). Ulric Gering may have come from Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Friburger from Colmar
Colmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
, and Crantz may have also come from Münster or Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. Heynlin gave valuable pecuniary aid to their undertakings, especially for the printing of the works of the Church Fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
. King Louis XI
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
granted letters of naturalization to all three workmen in 1475.
Their first publication with this press, and the first book printed in France, was a collection of letters by the fifteenth century grammarian Gasparinus de Bergamo
Gasparinus de Bergamo
Gasparinus de Bergamo Gasparinus de Bergamo (in Italian, Gasparino (da) Barizizza or Gasparino (da) Barzizza; in French, Gasparin de Bergame; in Latin, Gasparinus Barzizius Bergamensis) Gasparinus de Bergamo (in Italian, Gasparino (da) Barizizza or Gasparino (da) Barzizza; in French, Gasparin de...
(Gasparin de Pergame). The Epistolae Gasparini (1470) were intended to provide an exemplar for students for the writing of artful and elegant Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. Their second work was a translation of Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
(1470-1471), the third the Orationes of Bessarion (1471), and the fourth was Fichet's own Rhetorica in 1471. The number of the works which they published from 1470 to 1472 amounts to some thirty works.
At the end of 1472 or at the beginning of 1473, Heynlin and Fichet left the Sorbonne to settle on Rue Saint-Jacques. Two of their apprentices, Pierre de Kaysere (Petrus Caesaris) and Jean Stoll, established around the same time and on the same street their own competing printing press, with the emblem of the Soufflet-Vert.
Other activities
The German humanist Johann ReuchlinJohann Reuchlin
Johann Reuchlin was a German humanist and a scholar of Greek and Hebrew. For much of his life, he was the real centre of all Greek and Hebrew teaching in Germany.-Early life:...
attached himself to Heynlin, whom he followed to the young University of Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
in 1474.
In 1478 he was called to teach theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in the newly founded University of Tübingen, where his learning, eloquence and reputation secured for him the same year the rectorship. The opposition, however, he met from the Nominalists Gabriel Biel
Gabriel Biel
Gabriel Biel was a German scholastic philosopher and member of the Brethren of the Common Life born in Speyer. In 1432 he was ordained to the priesthood and entered Heidelberg University. He succeeded academically and became an instructor in the faculty of the arts.- Life :His studies were pursued...
, Paul Scriptoris
Paul Scriptoris
Paul Scriptoris was a German Franciscan mathematician, Scotist, and professor at the University of Tübingen. His surname is a Latin translation of the original German name Schreiber . Born in Weil der Stadt, Scriptoris studied at Paris and joined the Franciscan order. He subsequently began...
, and others, rendered his service here of short duration. He severed his connexion with the university, proceeded to Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
and thence to Berne
Berne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
, where he engaged in preaching. Dissatisfied with Berne he returned to Basel, and tired of wandering, he entered in 1487 the Carthusian Monastery of St. Margarethenthal to spend his declining years in prayer and literary work.
Works
- Compendiosus de arte punctandi dialogus, found in Orthographia Clarissimi Oratoris Gasparini Bergomensis, 1470.
- Premonitio circa sermones de conceptione gloriose virginis Marie, found in Meffret, Sermones de tempore et de sanctis, 1488.
- Resolutorium dubiorum circa celebrationem missarum occurentium, 1492.
- Libri artis logicae Porphyrii et Aristotelis c. commento J. (Kommentare zu Werken des Aristoteles, Gilbert de la Porrée, Porphyrios), 1495.
Further reading
- A. Claudin, The first Paris press; an account of the books printed for G. Fichet and J. Heynlin in the Sorbonne, 1470-1472 (London: Printed for the Bibliographical Society at the Chiswick Press, 1898).