Friday, October 25, 2013

Christian Egenolff as author

I've had an interest for quite some time in Christian Egenolff, one of the Frankfurt printers specializing in popular works and vernacular literature in the mid-16th century. He makes an appearance in Printing and Prophecy as the compiler of a popular and influential collection of prophetic works published in 1548-50, and he shows up again briefly in a new project I'm working on. This week, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek released a digital edition of a chronicle with Egenolff as the author, so I was curious what the list of published work written by Egenolff looks like. A quick look at VD16 finds four titles, including a proverb collection, two defenses written in Latin against accusations made by others, and three editions of his chronicle. Here is the entire list:
  1. Sibenthalb hundert Sprichwörter / Wie und wo sie in Teutscher Spraach / von zier und bkürtzung wegen der rede / gebraucht werdenn (VD16 E 577). 1532.
  2. Chronic von an und abgang aller Welt wesenn. Auß den glawbwirdigsten Historien / On alle Gloß unnd Zůsatz / Nach Historischer warheyt beschriben. Künig / Keyser / unnd fürneme Personen / nach warer fürbildung Controfeit (VD16 E 573). 1533. BSB facsimile.
  3. Chronica / Von an und abgang aller Weltwesen. Auß den glaubwirdigsten Historien / beschriben (VD16 E 574). 1534.
  4. Chronica / Beschreibung und gemeyne anzeyge / Vonn aller Wellt herkommen/ Fürnämen Lannden / Stande / Eygenschafften / Historien / wesen / manier / sitten / an und abgang. Ausz den glaubwirdigsten Historien / On all Glose und Zůsatz / Nach Historischer Warheit beschriben (VD16 E 575). 1535. BSB facsimile.
  5. Adversum illiberales Leonharti Fuchsii, Medici Tubingensis, calumnias, Responsio Christiani Egenolphi, Typographi Francofortani (VD16 E 572). 1544. BSB facsmile 1, facsimile 2.
  6. Defensio Christiani Egenolphi, ad Dn. Conradi Lagi, Iurecos. Protestationem, qua in eum, ob uulgatos de doctrina Iuris Commentarios, publicè edito Scripto invectus est (VD16 E 576). 1544.
Of course, calling Egenolff the author of his chronicle may be overstating his role somewhat. A quick look finds that the text is borrowed in large sections from the chronicles of Hartmann Schedel (who borrowed his text from many others), Sebastian Franck (who borrows heavily from Schedel and others), and especially from Johannes Carion (who borrows as well).

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