Gutenberg Museum

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Gutenberg Museum in Freiburg

The Gutenberg Museum - Swiss Museum of the Graphic Industry and Communication is a museum of the Swiss graphic industry in Freiburg in Üechtland . It was founded at the same time as the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz in the 500th year of Gutenberg's birth in 1900 and has been in Bern for over 100 years . In autumn 2000, the year in which Gutenberg's invention of printing was named the “Invention of the Millennium”, the museum moved to its current location in the former Derrière-Notre-Dame granary in the city of Freiburg.

The building is listed as an individual object in the Swiss inventory of cultural assets of national and regional importance . Even if in its history the house has never been connected to the paper or the art of printing that have shaped Freiburg, it also played an important role as a granary.

Structure

The museum building dates from the time of Gutenberg and is located immediately northeast of the Liebfrauenkirche and east of the Tinguely Museum . The postal address is Place Notre-Dame / Liebfrauenplatz 14-16 . The urban development ends further to the east, because here the terrain slopes down by around 40 meters with a sharp edge. The foundations and cellar walls are made of roughly hewn field stones, the upper floors are made of sandstone blocks, and the eastern outer wall is part of the city wall.

Parts of the ceiling beam on the ground floor

Today's Gutenberg Museum consists of two different old parts. The older part was preceded by three residential buildings from the 13th century that were attached to another building to the south. 1523-1527 was built by architect Peter Ruffinger at this point of the first urban hayloft on the old foundations in new flight touched down. When the second part of the building was added, a right-angled extension from the 16th century, which is now the main building and has a crooked roof , the older part was significantly changed.

The main building elements were exposed from the inside during the last renovation and document the building's history. A few strong sandstone supports and oak beams form the supporting structure within the thick building walls. The ornaments on the wood come from the sculptor Hans Geiler .

In the basement passage area between the two components, you can learn something about the building history of the old granary. Old photos document external changes in the house over the past 150 years. Remnants of an old staircase bear witness to the eventful history.

In the early 1980s, the building was to be completely gutted and converted. An expertise from the monument office prevented this.

Today's entrance area, which was provided with two gates in 1948 for use as a fire station, is defined by a large, glazed steel frame construction. The opening of the house, which was perceived as brutal by today's standards, was architecturally reinterpreted when it was converted into a museum. Massive steel girders inside also testify to the fire brigade. Concrete screed as flooring and isolated concrete supports underline the formerly industrial character of the building's use. These structural elements are also due to fire protection regulations, but also contain supply lines, especially the underfloor heating . Small differences in floor heights that have arisen through multiple renovations and wear and tear are also leveled out.

It is entered in the list of cultural assets of national importance in the canton of Friborg with inventory number 2064 .

Usage history

The building was built as a granary and at the beginning of the 18th century a slightly higher extension was added. It is not only the oldest granary in the city, but also the oldest granary in Switzerland that is still preserved today. A council resolution from 1786 provided for the construction of the granary on the new Kornmarkt. The old building was used accordingly until the much larger grenette on Untere Matte was completed in 1793. The Grenette later became a barracks and is now the largest event hall in the city.

The old granary later served as a tobacco factory, from 1838 it was also the customs administration and from 1948 the fire brigade. At the end of September 1981 it moved to its current location in the north of the city. The house stood empty for many years, but still belonged to the city of Freiburg.

An expertise drawn up by Marie-Thérèse Torche-Julmy and Walter Tschopp from 1982 was the basis for monument-technical requirements for the renovation of the building.

Printing industry in Freiburg

The printers in Freiburg 1585–1816
Period printer
1585-1597 Abraham Gemperlin
1596-1605 Wilhelm Mäß (Guillaume Maess)
1606-1617 Etienne Philot
1618-1651 Guillaume Darbellay
1650-1676 David Irrbisch
1677-1711 Jean-Jacques Quentz
1712-1736 Innocent Théodoric Skin
1736-1773 Heinrich Nicomedes Skin
1774-1816 Béat-Louis Piller
  1. ↑ Darbellay worked between 1620 and 1635 with a 15-year break.
  2. ↑ After Henri Hautt's death, his sister Marie-Marguerite-Elisabeth was in charge in 1773.

Today the Gutenberg Museum is located in one of the cities that were of particular importance for the development of the Swiss printing industry. In the two and a half centuries of printing in Freiburg, from the first beginnings of letterpress printing to the last printer under state supervision in 1816, there was always only one typographic workshop here. Peter Canisius , who had been in the city since 1580 and promoted the establishment of the St. Michael College, was likely to be the driving force behind the establishment of both his own library and his own print shop . Canisius is considered conservative and Pope Gregory XIII. Committed.

The first printer was Abraham Gemperlin , who worked from 1585–1597. The earliest known book printed in Freiburg comes from him, Sebastian Werros Question Piece of the Christian Faith to the Neuwe sectic Preachers / first by the highly learned H. Johann Hayum ... describe in French; therefore brought into German by Sebastian Werro ...; and with another Theyl raised from 1585 as well as other important texts of the Counter-Reformation that has just begun . The founding of the printing works is closely related to the founding of the St. Michael College in 1582.

The most important client was the Freiburg clergy, namely the Jesuits, the diocese and the city of Freiburg with their official announcements. For the period up to 1816, printed works are now accepted in 1858, of which 420 are extensive books with more than 49 pages. Of these 420 books, 45 were printed in the 16th century, 138 in the 17th, 194, i.e. almost half of all printed books with more than 49 pages in the 18th, and 43 books in the 19th century. Books up to 48 pages (581 items) also have their largest appearance in the 18th century, while the number of one-page writings (857 items) has increased continuously over the centuries.

Rue d'Or 9

Abraham Gemperlin came from Rottenburg am Neckar and had learned the printing trade from Ambrosius Froben in Basel . He was already entrusted with printing jobs for Freiburg and urged the city to set up a printing studio there itself. After a few test prints, Gemperlin was able to establish himself in Freiburg and received official printing permission in August 1584. Although Gemperlin only worked as a printer in Freiburg for twelve years, he had an influence on the book trade that lasted for more than 100 years. The care and spatial awareness of Gemperlin's workshop, which has passed on to his successor, can still be seen today.

With Etienne Philot, a downward trend is starting after constant improvements. The errors in setting the text increase significantly. Horodisch also states: “A clear step backwards means Philot's effectiveness in the aesthetic field. While Gemperlin had undoubtedly had a feeling for form and typographical design, despite all the shortcomings, this Philot is completely absent. All of his prints are purely commodities for the general public, cheaply and poorly made. "

Gemperlin's partner and successor Wilhelm Mäß founded the first Freiburg publishing house together with François Werro and the pharmacist Albert Lapis on January 23, 1598 and were the first to print Franz Guillimann 's De rebus Helvetiorum , a compendium of the complete history of Switzerland up to 1315.

At the beginning of the 18th century, Jean-Jacques Quentz took over the Freiburg printing company. On August 8, 1710, a new set of letters was delivered that had been created by the Basel type caster Rudolf Genath (1679–1740) for the renowned family company Johann Jakob Genath . According to Quentz, i.e. after 1712, people worked at 9 Rue d'Or, after production had previously been carried out in the St. Michael College.

This change represented a turning point not only because of the new location and a new printer. With the defeat of the Catholics in the Villmerger Wars in July 1712, the production of clerical literature collapsed, as parts of its distribution - especially Bern - were now in progressive Reformed hands . The ten-volume monumental work Histoire des Helvétiens , a commission from Baron François-Joseph-Nicolas d'Alt de Tieffenthal, with which the latter tried to consolidate his political position, was grateful work for the printing industry at the time. Other important works are: the cantonal periodicals Almanach ou calendrier nouveau , published since 1711 , initially only in French , from 1731 also in German , as well as the Feuille d'Avis du Samedy à Friborg en Suisse , published since 1738 , which as first newspaper in the canton can be viewed.

In the early days, the development of the art of printing was closely linked to the manufacture or procurement of paper . The Marly paper mill, which was in production until 1921 and is six kilometers away, was initially and for a long time the only paper supplier for printing in Freiburg.

The third floor of the Gutenberg Museum is dedicated to the history of printing.

Gutenbergstube in the Historical Museum in Bern

The first public exhibition of Swiss printmaking took place in the so-called Gutenbergstube in the Historical Museum in Bern. It goes back to the association of printers who, together with their colleagues in Mainz, wanted to remember the inventor of the art of printing.

The exhibition with some historical exhibits was first housed in the Historisches Museum Bern, then in the trade museum in the old grain house in Bern . The printer founded in 1910 formally development association Swiss Gutenberg Museum , which in 1992 with the Swiss development association Occupation Museum of bookbinding merged the Society of Friends of the Gutenberg Museum. The reason for this merger was the fact that both museums had to leave the trade museum a few years earlier.

The new location was not without controversy, because Epalinges and Bischofszell were also in discussion. Ultimately, Freiburg was able to prevail because there was a perfectly suitable building from Gutenberg's time, the city played an important role for the printing industry in Switzerland and, due to its proximity to the " Röstigraben ", it also represented a certain compromise between the supporters of the East - and represented western Switzerland .

exhibition

The scope of the exhibition encompasses the beginnings of paper and print production in Asia and Europe through to electronic print production, with the focus on the invention of movable type up to around the middle of the 20th century. Printing machines and utensils are distributed over 1000 m² of exhibition space. They represent waypoints in the development of printing and are provided with bilingual information boards throughout. Life-size modeled wax figures show the authentic handling of the technology.

Ground floor and basement

In addition to the checkout area, the entrance area of ​​the west wing also includes a small museum shop. The modern, transparent staircase provides a view of the following floors from the entrance. Again and again, details of the structure catch the eye, such as an arched door to the older part of the building, which is provided with an elaborate, partly damaged stone carving. The southeast wing, the older part of the building, is used for special exhibitions and - through a separate entrance - for receptions and other occasions.

In the basement there are two fully functional studios in both parts of the building, which can now be used for commercial printing . All devices, some of which weigh tons, are provided with explanatory text panels. Here, too, competent people working during the opening times provide individual information.

On the one hand, there is a book printing studio in which various printing machines of different ages illustrate the development of printing. The handwriting demonstrates how, until the invention of more automated techniques, each letter had to be set individually by hand. The more advanced technology will be presented using the automatic platen press . The two linotypes exhibited here were in use in the Swiss printing industry from 1914 to 1976.

Secondly, there is a well-equipped bookbinding studio, in which the art of bookbinding can be demonstrated predominantly by hand, i.e. with little use of machines . Here tools from several centuries are exhibited, which explain the various punching and cutting techniques, but also thread sewing and gluing processes.

Both studios convey the typesetting , printing and bookbinding techniques that have been used since Gutenberg's time . Visitors can take part in the production. Both studios work weekly and the two areas are only accessible to visitors during these times.

Upper floors

The central exhibition areas are on the first and second floors. The first is mainly dedicated to the beginnings of the book printing industry, where the book's development becomes clear with its predominantly manual and non-machine production. Individual stations explain the origins of the book before Gutenberg's invention of movable type around 1450, which revolutionized letterpress printing. Other parts of the exhibition are devoted to paper production, the various printing techniques, the history of the origins of fonts, the various illustration techniques and the transition to electronic data processing .

The second floor is dedicated in particular to the world of typography , the reproduction of original images, the three printing processes and bookbinding after the industrial revolution . The printing machines from different epochs illustrate the increasing industrialization of the printing industry. Some of the devices were still in use until the late 1970s.

In the attic there is an event hall in which a permanent presentation shows the development of words, language, characters and writing. Furthermore, printed works such as a facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible , but in particular products from the Freiburg printer workshop, are shown in display cases . The station on the history of Swiss banknotes is also located here .

Special exhibitions (selection)

Every year there are six to eight special exhibitions with topics related to printing, illustration and communication.

  • July 10 to August 11, 2013: Around the world with Hafez
  • June 7th to August 12th, 2012: Karl May . Adventure author in the mirror of printing technology
  • March 31 to June 3, 2012: Des Clercs et des Livres, Bibliothèque dévoilée / Priests and books, the rediscovery of the library
  • March 9 to May 15, 2011: James Joyce Unique Books
  • September 16 to November 1, 2009: A Quick Brown Fox jumps over the Lazy Dog
  • 2008: The Bible, the word in a thousand languages
  • April 13 to June 10, 2007: Le Journal, Chronomètre de l'histoire / Die Zeitung, seconds hand of contemporary history
  • November 24, 2006 to January 21, 2007: 50 years of Bravo
  • May 5 to July 7, 2006: Les plus beaux livres / Most beautiful books
  • October 8, 2002 to January 5, 2003: Les trois révolutions du livre

Support association and organization

The oldest known printing work in Freiburg: Question piece of the Christian faith etc. , 1585

The museum has been run by the Society of Friends of the Gutenberg Museum since 1992 , which is primarily supported and financed by viscom , the Swiss association for visual communication. The society has (as of autumn 2013) over 500 members.

The association owns the exhibits and promotes the further development of the museum through non-material, personal and financial support. A board of directors and an advisory board manage the museum's fortunes. Stefan Ledergerber (* 1973) has been director since April 2012, replacing Ms. Dominique Chappuis Waeber, who previously held this position for six and a half years.

The Society of Friends of the Gutenberg Museum has two historical libraries that have been outsourced but are part of the reservoir of the temporary exhibitions. This inventory includes, among others, Sebastian Werro's Question Piece of Christian Faith etc. from 1585.

The museum received prints from Matthias Apiarius from the Gottlieb Wüthrich collection as a deposit from the collector and numismatist Gottlieb Wüthrich , but these are not part of the permanent exhibition.

According to the statutes, there are two types of sponsoring membership: in addition to the “normal” membership, interested parties can also become VIP members and thus express their sympathy and solidarity with the Gutenberg Museum. VIP members receive a season ticket and special invitations to the company's events.

Between January 2003 and the end of 2005 the museum was closed due to financial difficulties after it had accumulated 2.3 million francs in debt. It was only able to reopen when viscom bought the property for CHF 2.3 million and thus paid off the debt. Since then, the number of visitors has increased, the museum was able to increase its income and is now on a stable financial basis.

literature

museum

Granary

  • Jean-Pierre Anderegg: Speicher and Kornhaus in late medieval and early modern Freiburg. In: Cahiers d'Archeologie Fribourgeoise. Freiburg booklets for archeology. No. 9, 2007, pp. 204-211.

Paper and printing history

  • Alain Bosson: L'Atelier typographique de Friborg (Suisse). Bibliography raisonnée des imprimés 1585–1816. Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire de Friborg, Friborg 2009, ISBN 978-2-940058-32-7 .
  • Peter Friedrich Tschudin: Swiss paper history. Published for the anniversary of the Swiss Confederation 1291–1991 by Swiss paper historians. Basler Papiermühle, Basel 1991, ISBN 3-905142-04-X .
  • Lioba Schnürer: The beginnings of printing in Freiburg in Switzerland 1585–1605 (= Freiburg history sheets . Volume 37). Paulusdruckerei, Friborg in Switzerland 1944.
  • Hans Erhardt: Le paper. Extrait des Archives de l'Imprimerie, Lausanne 1939. Conference donnée par Hans Erhardt, Director des Papeteries SA Serrieres a l'Assemblee annuelle 1938 de la societe du Musee Gutenberg Suisse, a Berne.

Web links

Commons : Gutenberg Museum  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A – Objects FR 2018 . Swiss inventory of cultural assets of national importance. In: babs.admin.ch / kulturgueterschutz.ch. Federal Office for Civil Protection FOCP - Department of Cultural Property Protection, January 1, 2018, accessed on December 26, 2017 (PDF; 127 kB, 24 pages, updated annually, no changes for 2018).
  2. ↑ a b Christoph Allenspach: Large spaces in a medieval industrial building. In: Reprint of the Fondation du musée Gutenberg. P. 11.
  3. ↑ a b Christa mother: From bread to book, The story of the grain house. In: The Gutenberg Museum. Reprint of the Fondation du musée Gutenberg. P. 5.
  4. ↑ On the history of the Grenette Friborg.
  5. ↑ Pompiers-Friborg. History.
  6. ↑ Alain Bosson: L'Atelier typographique de Friborg 1585-1816. Freiburg i. Üe. 2009, p. 8.
  7. ↑ Alain Bosson: L'Atelier typographique de Friborg 1585-1816. Freiburg i. Üe. 2009, p. 53.
  8. ↑ a b online edition of Fragstück des Christian Faith ...
  9. ↑ Press information on the temporary exhibition in the Gutenberg Museum in Freiburg ( Memento of the original from September 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Clone of Druckspiegel.de on drupa.de, 2009.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.drupa.de
  10. ^ L'Atelier typographique de Friborg 1585-1816. Freiburg i. Üe. 2009, p. 55.
  11. ↑ Abraham Horodisch: The print shop by Abraham Gemperlin the first printer from Freiburg Switzerland. Paulus-Druckerei, Freiburg 1945, p. 35.
  12. ^ German biography: Mäß, Wilhelm - German biography. Retrieved May 7, 2017 .
  13. ^ Bibliography Wilhelm Mäss / Guillaume Maess' on KUB, Cantonal University Library of the Canton of Friborg.
  14. ^ Oskar Vasella :  Guillimann, Franz. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 7, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1966, ISBN 3-428-00188-5 , p. 299 f. ( Digitized version ).
  15. ↑ Alain Bosson: L'Atelier typographique de Friborg 1585-1816. Freiburg i. Üe. 2009, pp. 69-70.
  16. ↑ Alt de Tieffenthal, François Joseph Nicolas d on VIAF.
  17. ↑ Alain Bosson: L'Atelier typographique de Friborg 1585-1816. Freiburg i. Üe. 2009, p. 300.
  18. ↑ Alain Bosson: L'Atelier typographique de Friborg 1585-1816. Freiburg i. Üe. 2009, p. 71.
  19. ↑ Chronology of the Bernese book printers 1537–1831: with special consideration of the calendar and newspaper system in the XVII. and XVIII. Century: International Exhibition for Book Trade and Graphics, Leipzig 1914. Verlag der Schweizerische Gutenbergstube, 1914.
  20. ↑ Meuble d'imprimeur authentique avec inscription "Swiss good mountain room". ( Memento from January 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  21. ↑ Carole Schneuwly:: Gutenberg's legacy. Society of Friends of the Gutenberg Museum. In: Freiburger Nachrichten. February 2, 2013.
  22. ↑ Christine Flechtner: A walk through 500 years of book printing history. in: The Gutenberg Museum. Reprint of the Fondation du musée Gutenberg. Pp. 8-9.
  23. ^ Christian Ciocca: Emission d'Anik Schuin. Espace 2 (Radio suisse romande), Lausanne 2009.
  24. ↑ All special exhibitions are listed on the museum website under Exhibitions / Archives. Special exhibitions
  25. ^ Website Gutenberg Museum, Directorate
  26. ^ Gutenberg Museum website, membership
  27. ↑ Martin Lory: Wüthrich, Gottlieb. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  28. ↑ Carole Schneuwly: "I was only expected to make the museum work financially." Interview with the outgoing director Dominique Chappuis Waeber. In: Freiburger Nachrichten. March 14, 2012.

Coordinates: 46 ° 48 ′ 26 "  N , 7 ° 9 ′ 42"  E ; CH1903:  five hundred and seventy-eight thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight  /  184050