1561 Munster Leaf Bohemia Moravia Kings Brzetislav 1Pic

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1561 Description of Bohemia from "Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster
Kings of Bohemia; Moravia
One Woodcut Picture

Single authentic woodcut leaf from "Cosmographia" by Sebastian Münster. German edition; Basel printing house of Sebastian Heinrich-Petri 1561. Book III ("Von dem Deutschen land"), pages Mclxxxv-Mclxxxvi (1185-6).

Sebastian Münster (1488-1552) was a German cartographer, cosmographer, and Hebrew scholar whose Cosmographia (1544; "Cosmography") was the earliest German description of the world and a major work - after the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493 - in the revival of geographic thought in 16th-century Europe. Altogether, about 40 editions of the Cosmographia appeared during 1544-1628. Although other cosmographies predate Münster's, he is given first place in historical discussions of this sort of publication, and was a major influence on his subject for over 200 years. Cosmographia contained not only the latest maps and views of many well-known cities, but included an encyclopaedic amount of detail about the known - and unknown - world and undoubtedly must have been one of the most widely read books of its time. Aside from the well-known maps and views present in the Cosmographia (including the first separate printed map of the Western Hemisphere), the text is thickly sprinkled with vigorous woodcuts: portraits of kings and princes, costumes and occupations, habits and customs, flora and fauna, monsters and horrors.

Click here for more information about Münster and Cosmographia, including the content and list of editions and artists

This most interesting authentic leaf from the 1561 German edition of Cosmographia is devoted to history of Bohemia (the Czech Republic). The text covers the period between the reign of Vratislav I (905-921), Wenceslas I (St. Vaclav), Boleslav I the Gruesome, Boleslav II the Pious, Boleslav III the Red, Jaromir, Boleslav the Brave of Poland, Oldrich, and Brzetislav I.

The text mentions Prague. In 973 Prague became the seat of the bishop and the first monastery of Benedictines was founded at St. George. The abbasses became Mlada, sister of Boleslav II.

Boleslav I the Brave (Polish: Boleslaw I Chrobry; 966 - 1025) was a son of Mieszko I and of his first wife, the Bohemian princess Dobrawa. After the death of Otto III in 1002, Boleslav conquered Moravia and Lusatia. Boleslav conquered, and made himself Duke of, Bohemia and Moravia in 1003 - 1004, ruling as Boleslav IV.

Bretislav I ("Brzetislaus", p. 1186) was the prince of Bohemia from 1034 to 1055. In 1019, at Schweinfurt, he kidnapped his future wife Judith (Jitka, "Jutha") of Schweinfurt, a daughter of a Bavarian magnate, Henry of Nordgau. He succeeded his father, Oldrich, to the Bohemian throne after a period of dynastic struggles. He proceeded to win back lands that earlier had been lost to Poland, regaining in two great campaigns not only all of Moravia ("Marhern") but also Silesia and Kraków. He also captured Poznan and Gniezno, but his ambitions for a greater West Slav nation troubled the Holy Roman emperor Henry III, who mounted an armed invasion and compelled Bretislav to evacuate all of Poland except Silesia (which nevertheless was returned to Poland some years later). Bretislav was succeeded first by his eldest son, Spytihnev II ("Spitigneus"; 1031-61), and then by his second son, Vratislav II (c. 1035-92).

Page 1186 contains the woodcut picture of the coat-of-arms: a two-headed eagle. See pictures for more details; click image to view larger version.

The leaf measures 7.6 x 11.8 inches. Printed on laid paper. The leaf is in good condition. Imperfections: age toning; marginal wormhole. This is a rare and exceptionally interesting historical document which will look great with a mat and frame.

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