Peter Schöffer orPetrus Schoeffer (c. 1425 – c. 1503) was an early German printer, who studied inParis and worked as a manuscript copyist in 1451 before apprenticing withJohannes Gutenberg and joiningJohann Fust, a goldsmith, lawyer, and money lender.[1]
Among his best-known works are the 1457Mainz Psalter, the1462 Bible orBiblia pulcra, and the 1484Herbarius latinus.
Schöffer was born inGernsheim. Working for Fust, Schöffer was the principal workman ofJohannes Gutenberg, inventor of moderntypography, whose42-Line Bible was completed in 1455. In 1455 he testified for Johann Fust against Gutenberg.[2] By 1457, he and Fust had formed the firmFust and Schöffer, after the foreclosure of the mortgage on Gutenberg's printing workshop.[3]
Famous works include thePsalter of 1457, the1462 Bible (the fourth printed Bible, also known as theBiblia pulcra [beautiful Bible])[4] Cicero'sDe officiis (1465), Justinian'sInstitutes (1468), andHerbarius – Rogatu plurimorum... (1484), usually referred to as the"Herbarius latinus". TheHerbarius was compiled from older sources and was popular enough to go through ten reprints before 1499. It illustrates and describes 150 plants and 96 medicines commonly found in apothecaries. There is reason to believe that Schöffer himself commissioned the compilation, although the name of the compiler is not recorded. Schöffer is considered the author of many innovations such as dating books, including a title page[5] and colored inks in print. After going into business on his own, Schöffer confined his publishing to works on theology, and civil and ecclesiastical law. He died inMainz.
Around 1470/71 Schöffer acquired theHumbrechthof in Mainz, which was later called Schöfferhof. Schöffer married Fust's only daughter, Christina, and his sons also entered the printer's trade. His son John carried on as printer between 1503 and 1531, was competent, but did not rank with the top printers of that time. Another son,Peter the younger, was an able die-cutter and printer, and conducted business inMainz (1509–23),Worms (1512–29),Strasbourg (1530–39) andVenice (1541–42). In 1526, Peter Schöffer the younger published the first English New Testament inWorms, translated byWilliam Tyndale.[6] Peter the younger's son Ivo, continued the printing business at Mainz (1531–55).[7]
Schöfferhofer is a brand of German wheat beer named for the former house of Peter Schöffer (the house was called theMainzer Schöfferhof) in which abrewery was founded. This brand of beer sports a portrait of Peter Schöffer as its trademark. The Schöfferhofer brand originates from this brewery inMainz, which is also known as theBrauerei Dreikönigshof.
According to theNew York Times, in her 2014 novelGutenberg's Apprentice, Alix Christie addresses the issues of "intellectual property theft" relating to Schöffer and Gutenberg in the invention of printing.[8]
Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913)."Peter Schöffer".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.From theLessing J. Rosenwald Collection at theLibrary of Congress:
