Albreht Pfister Publishes "Der Edelstein", the First Book Printed in German and the First Dated Book with Woodcuts

On February 14, 1461 Albrecht Pfister of Bamberg, characterized as "a church dignitary and amateur printer," issued a book of fables: Der Edelstein by Ulrich Boner, a Dominican monk. Containing 101 woodcuts, this was also the first book printed in German, and the first dated book with woodcut illustrations.

"The woodcuts were impressed by hand in blanks left for the purpose in the printed text—much as though they had been rubber stamps" (Ivins, Prints and Visual Communication [1969] xi).

Only one copy of the original printing survived. It is preserved in the Herzog August Bibliothek at Wolfenbüttel. ISTC no. ib00974500.

A second edition issued by Pfister about 1462 contains 103 woodcuts. ISTC no. ib00974550. Of this too only one copy survived at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. In December 2013 a digital facsimile of the second edition was available at this link.