In the course of the 17th century printing in Nagyszombat (Trnava, SK) was neither continuous nor connected to a single printing workshop.
Following the ceasing of the Chapter-press in 1609 there passed almost ten years until a new press settled - at least temporarily - in the town. However, right after the Chapter press a new Catholic press was established, although not in Nagyszombat, but in the nearby Pozsony. It was the new press donated by Archbishop Ferenc Forgách. Although there was inevitably some connection between the ceasing of one Catholic press and the founding of another, there is no similarity int eh printing equipments of the two. The pritning material of the Archepiscopal press was probably purchased from Vienna: certain identities with the Vienna Formica-office support this assumption. There is no fraktur type among the newly purchased types because the publication of German-language books was not planned, only that of Hungaraian and Latin.
The first book with copper-plate title-page was issued from this press: it was the first edition of Kalauz by Péter Pázmány (RMNy 1059). It was followed by the legal work by János Kitonich decorated with the author's copper-plate portrait by Heinrich Ullrich (RMNy 1193).
The Archiepiscopal press was active in Pozsony between 1609 and 1617: following the military events lead by the Transylvanian Prince Gábot Bethlen it had to be transferred, possibly for safety's sake, to the nearby Nagyszombat.
During these later years in Nagyszombat the press issued only three works that we know of: the decisions of the the Transylvanian prinicipalty's assembly from March 1619, the above-mentioned legal compendium by J. Kitonich and a Hungarian calendar for 1621. It is on the title-page of this latter calender where the name of the Archiepiscopal printer, Nikolaus Müller (Mollerus) occurs. From his dedication to the town council of Nagyszombat it appears that by that time the printing workshop was under their supervision. Gábor Bethlen who occupied the town disapproved of their practice not printing for the protestans. As a consequence, in 1621 he seized the press and transferred it, together with the printer Mollerus first to Kassa, his temporary seat, and finally to Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia), Transylvania, his princely seat.
From 1623 the earleier Archiepiscopal press served as the press of the protestant Princes of Transylvania for several decades (Principal Press). The printings issueed by the press in Alba Iulia dispaly the same typographical material as those printed in Pozsony and in Nagyszombat by the Archiepiscopal press.
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The initial with puttos originally from the Vienna office of Singriener went over to the Vienna Jesuits and from there to the Telegdi (Chapter) press in Nagyszombat. It survived int he Archiepiscopal press and was transferred to Alba Iulia, Transylvania. |
Fuerther, the detailed analysis of the printing material used in Alba Iulia also reveals the fact that not all the wooden blocks of ornaments, illustrations and decorated initials disappeared from the one-time Telegdi (Chapter) press: sume were mixed into the equipment of the archiepiscopal press and were transferred with it to Alba Iulia. Books printed in Alba Iulia in 1636 still display the remnans of the Telegdi (Chapter) press almost 30 years later than it had ceeased its activity.
While in Transylvania a new press was founded from this equipment, the Hungarian Catholic church was deprived of its only press.
INITIALS
PRINTER’S FLOWERS
PRINTING TYPES
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LITERATURE:
Régi magyarországi nyomtatványok (RMNy) – Res litteraria Hungariae vetus operum impressorum, 2: 1601–1635, ed. By Borsa Gedeon and Hervay Ferenc. Budapest 1983.
V. ECSEDY Judit: A könyvnyomtatás Magyarországon a kézisajtó korában. Bp. 1999. 131–132
V. ECSEDY Judit: A régi magyarországi nyomdák betűi és díszei XVII. század. 1. köt. Nyugat- és észak-magyarországi nyomdák. Káptalani nyomda Nagyszombatban (578–1609). Bp. 2010. 54–55., 341–359.
KAFER István: Az Egyetemi Nyomda négyszáz éve (1577–1977). Bp. 1977
