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Exceedingly rare 1566 newsbook... Over 450 years old...
Exceedingly rare 1566 newsbook... Over 450 years old...
Item # 690168
August 21, 1566
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.
The title reads: Newe zeitung vom XXI Augusti auss Wien anno 1566" which translates, literally, to "New Newspaper from August 21, from Vienna in the year x66". These "newsbooks", as they were called, were the predecessors of today's newspapers, being distinguished by having a specific date, reporting on current news, and having some semblance of the word "newspaper" in the title.
This issue fits all three, being dated August 21, 1566 (photos shows "XXI August...Anno x.66"), headed with "Newe Zeitung", German for "newspaper", and reporting on a battle of the Ottoman Muslim armies.
Research notes it has reports from Vienna (then capital of the Holy Roman Empire & cultural capital of Europe) focusing on the continuing efforts of the vast Ottoman Muslim armies led by Suleiman the Magnificent, who conquered an area equal to the size of the earlier Eastern Roman Empire based on Constantinople. The aim was to capture this major city in the Christian West to consolidate his gains in southern Europe.
This was Suleiman's last campaign as he died during the Battle of Szigetvar where 2,300 Hungarian defenders were annihilated by an army of 90,000 soldiers of the Ottoman Empire.
The title page features a terrific engraving of the Battle of Szigetvar showing troops storming a castle which Cardinal Richelieu was reported to have called "the battle that saved civilization" and at which Suleiman the Magnificent died on his thirteenth military campaign.
The imprint, noting that it was published by Han Zimmerman in Augsburg, Germany, is just below the engraving.
Note: the year has what would be the "15" in abbreviation with a Latin character for "and" or "etc.", translating more exactly to "in the year etc. 66", meaning that some contemporary conventional terms have been omitted, in this case the century. This would be similar to our writing a contemporary date as "April 21, '22".
Included with this issue is a British Library listing which verifies the year of publication clearly both in the title line and in the publisher/year line.
Complete in 8 pages with page 2 (reverse of the title page) and the last leaf being blank as issued. Excellent condition & measuring 5 1/2 by 7 1/4 inches.
A very rare opportunity to extend your newspaper collection back another century.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
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