Michael Furter

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Printer's mark by Michael Furter (University Library Basel)

Michael Furter (* in the 15th century in Augsburg ; † 1517 in Basel ) was a printer of the incunable period in Basel.

Life

Adam et Eve in paradise. From Methodius: Revelationes divinae . Michael Furter, Basel 1498
Page from Ladislaus Sunthaym's Babenberger Genealogy, printed by Michael Furter, Basel 1491

Michael Furter acquired a house and farmstead in Ryngasse (Rheingasse) in Kleinbasel on January 15, 1483 . On September 25, 1486 he joined the saffron guild and later also the key guild, from which he rented a shop for 3½ pounds annually on September 21, 1491, which Hans Vurster from Kempten had owned before him. On March 1, 1488, Furter acquired citizenship and paid one gulden in cash, for the remaining three gulden, Master Jakob Wolff provided a guarantee.

In December 1500 he and his wife Ursula bought the house called "Zer Monen", located at the grain market , for 70 guilders . Although in addition to his business as a printer he also ran that of the bookbinder and was also active as a bookkeeper, he did not succeed in making any progress in his financial situation, so that when he died after November 10, 1516 and before May 2, 1517, his children renounced the inheritance and bankruptcy was declared on his estate.

Create

Furter's prints are usually not very extensive, with the exception of those printed for someone else's account, e.g. B. Works for Wolfgang Lachner and for Johann Bergmann von Olpe ; Among them there is a particularly large number of grammatical and popular legal content, but theology and morals are also not lacking. Of all Basel printers up to 1510, he produced the most German-language titles.

The relatively large number of books decorated with woodcuts is remarkable . Apart from the simple cover pictures, there are several editions of the Postilla super epistolas et evangelia , ascribed to a Guillelmus Parisiensis , two editions of Johannes Meder's Quadragesimale de filio prodigo , several editions of the Meinrad legend which actually ascribed to the church father Methodius of Olympus Revelationes from the 7th century and the knight of the turn of the Marquard vom Stein with pictures of the master of the Bergmann shop . Numerous illustrations also adorn Furter's prints (1508 and 1517) of Gregor Reisch's Margarita Philosophica .

This preference for book decorations is also evident in the large number of initial alphabets , of which Konrad Haebler lists twelve in his “Type Repertory” (from 1905). A number of others were later discovered.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Frank Hieronymus: Upper Rhine Book Illustration 2. Basel Book Illustration 1500-1545 . Basel University Library, Basel 1984, ISBN 3-85953-012-7 , p. VI.
  2. ^ Guillelmus Parisiensis: Postilla super epistolas et evangelia. Michael Furter, Basel, July 28, 1491 ( digitized version ).
  3. ↑ Johannes Meder: Quadragesimale de filio prodigo . Michael Furter, Basel 1495 ( digitized version ).
  4. ↑ Sebastian Brant: From Sant Meinrat a nice read . Michael Furter, Basel around 1502 ( digitized ).
  5. ↑ Methodius: Revelationes divinae a sanctis angelis factae . Michael Furter, Basel, January 5, 1498 ( digitized version ).
  6. ↑ Geoffroy de La Tour Landry, Marquart von Stein: The knight from the turn . Michael Furter for Johann Bergmann von Olpe 1493. ( digitized version ).
personal data
SURNAME Furter, Michael
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Furtter, Michael; Ferter, Michael; Furterius, Michaelis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Book printer and bookbinder in Basel
DATE OF BIRTH 15th century
PLACE OF BIRTH augsburg
DATE OF DEATH 1516 or 1517
Place of death Basel