THE PRESS OF THE TOWN SOPRON? 1622?
 

The activity of a printing shop in Sopron, one of the westernmost towns of Hungary, close to the border, can be hardly justified. It is only from 1617 that there is a remark at our disposal, according to which the magistrate of the town employed a printer called Mohr for ten weeks. The other data referring to a possible press in Sopron is a German-language news pamphlet informing the readers about the coronation of Emperor Ferdinand II and his queen Eleonore to Hungarian king and queen (RMNy 1281). The event took place in Sopron 26th June 1622. According to the title-page it was printed in the free royal town of Sopron in 1622.

Crest of the free royal town Sopron: detail of a 17th century engraved prospect of the town.
Crest of the free royal town Sopron: detail of a 17th century engraved prospect of the town.

It can be imagined that for this occasion a printer came to the town, or, less probably the unknown printer used an equipment which he found here.

Title-page of the only printing with Sopron imprint, 1622 (RMNy 1281)
Title-page of the only printing with Sopron imprint, 1622 (RMNy 1281)

Still, it is more likely that the imprint is false, the unknown printer wanted to stress the authority of his pamphlet–while it was printed somewhere else, outside Hungary. In the course of the whole 17th century there is no other proof of a press in Sopron. However, the existence of some small printing shop cannot be entirely excluded.

The view of Sopron from a contemporary engraving
The view of Sopron from a contemporary engraving

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LITERATURE:
Régi magyarországi nyomtatványok 2, 1601–1635. Szerk.: Borsa Gedeon és Hervay Ferenc. Budapest 1983.
(For short: RMNy)