Helias Helye

Statue of Helias Helye on Helye Square in Laufen . Signature: Brem 1992
(inscription on the base: Helias Helye, around 1400–1473, donated by Marta Schaltbrandt, 1908–1992, city citizen of Laufen)

Helias Helye (* around 1400 in Zurich or Beromünster; † March 20, 1475 in Beromünster ) was the printer of the first dated book to appear in Switzerland, an edition of "Mammotrectus" by Johannes Marchesinus . Although he was already very old, he set up an office in Beromünster and completed the 600-page dictionary for Bible study on November 10, 1470. However, there is evidence that books were printed in Basel before 1468 .

At the original location, in the former home of Helias Helye in Beromünster, his small print shop has been reconstructed with a replica printer press and a replica type case desk. Today it is part of the local history museum and, in addition to an edition of "Mammotrectus", presents various individual pages from early printed works, including by Anton Koberger and Peter Schöffer .

Helias Helye also published a psaltery around 1471 and was the first in Switzerland to print works in Roman script ("Tractatus de cometis", approx. 1472; "Speculum vitae humanae", 1472 and 1473 in two editions and finally "De officio missae" ", approx. 1472). Because of little economic success he had to stop his printing business.

Helias Helye studied in Heidelberg from 1422 to 1425 and was canon in Beromünster from 1419 to 1475 . He was also a citizen of the city of Laufen .

literature

• Helene Büchler-Mattmann: Helias Helye. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
• Fritz Blaser; Gottfried Boesch; Mattman Helene (ed.): First dated Swiss print. Commemorative lettering for the 500th anniversary in Beromünster 1470-1970 . Beromünster 1970.
• Ernst Kelchner :  Helye, Helias . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 6, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, p. 6.

Web links

• Prints by Helias Heliae in the complete catalog of incandescent prints