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Exceedingly rare 1568 newsbook...
Exceedingly rare 1568 newsbook...
Item # 621302
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January 01, 1568
German newsbook dated 1568
Only rarely have we had the great pleasure to offer the earliest of "newspapers" to our customers, being the German newsbooks dating from the 1500's.
These "newsbooks", as they were called, were the predecessors of today's newspapers, being distinguished by being dated, reporting on current news, and having some semblance of the word "newspaper" in the title. This issue has the date in Roman Numerals at the bottom of the title page: M.D.LXVIII, has "Newe Zeitung", German for "newspaper", at the top of the titlepg., and reporting on the Battle of Heiligerlee which took place on May 23, 1568.
Research of this issue notes that the terrific and large engraving on the title page is of the Battle of Heiligerlee, showing knights clashing on horseback with a castle on a hill in the background. This was when the Netherlands was occupied by Spain, the battle fought between the rebel forces of Louis of Nassau and his brother William Prince of Orange aided by French Protestant Huguenots. This was the first Dutch victory in what became the "Eighty Years War". This victory against the Catholic Spanish was hailed by Protestants in Germany and Elizabethan England.
Included with this issue is the British Library Integrated Catalog print-out which notes that this issue was published in Basel, which is not surprising as Basel was the center of Protestant Reformation theology at this time.
This issue is complete in 8 pages with page 2 (reverse of the title page) and the last page being blank as issued. Handsomely bound in a more recent green boards, water staining on each leaf but causing no loss of readability (see photos), otherwise in very nice condition with wide margins & measuring 6 by 7 1/2 inches.
A very rare opportunity to extend your newspaper collection back another century. Rarely offered.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
No Longer Available
