Articles
Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica

Only one work by the German mystic Jacob Böhme appeared during his life: Der Weg zu Christo (s. 1, s. n., 1622 [= 1624]; Buddecke, vol. 1, No. 14).[1] It was at Amsterdam that his works were printed and reprinted from 1631 onward - scores of separate editions were published in the seventeenth century both in German and in Dutch - whereby this city assumed a key position in the history of the diffusion of Böhme's thought. The succession of these Amsterdam editions culminates with the first publication of his collected works in the original German: Alle theosophische Wercken (Amsterdam, s. n., 1682; Buddecke, vol. 1, No. 1), edited by his spiritual disciple Johann Georg Gichtel. It is said that Blaeu was the printer of this duodecimo edition in fifteen volumes and Gichtel's collection of letters and documents Theosophia practica is quoted in support, where one can, with some effort, discover that Gichtel was indeed working for some time as translator and proofreader for Blaeu.[2] Wetstein has at times been named as the publisher, recalling, of course, that writings of Behmist authors such as Jane Leade were part of his list.[3] However, following in the footsteps of the historian Sepp (1873), Böhme's bibliographer Buddecke has raised the possibility that Gichtel, the editor of the text, himself acted as the publisher.[4] Several documents which until now have received too little attention, not only help to confirm this proposition, but even to specify its particulars.

The central figure in the whole of the production of Böhme's Wercken is shown to be its editor, the German Protestant mystic and theosophist Johann Georg Gichtel (1638-1710) who spent the years between 1668 and his death at Amsterdam where he gathered around himself a circle of followers which included the theologian Alhart de Raedt and burgomaster Coenraad van Beuningen.[5] Enthralled by his reading of Böhme he undertook the task of editing the latter's collected works as faithfully as possible and his edition can justly be called the first complete and critically prepared issue of the works of the 'Teutonicus Philosophus'. On 1 September 1681 Gichtel reports that comparison of all Böhme's works with their manuscripts has been completed.[6] These manuscripts had been the property of Abraham Willemsz van Beyerland.[7] This Amsterdam merchant (1587-1648) is responsible for saving Jacob Böhme's works from almost certain destruction by collecting them in the form in which they had until then existed, i.e. in the form of manuscripts. Between 1632 and 1648 he bought or was given (inter alia through the intermediary of Abraham von Franckenberg) so many copies and autographs of Böhme's works, until then in the hands of German Böhme's disciples, that in the end he owned several manuscript examples of every work. Then he translated these works into Dutch, applying textual criticism in doing so by comparing the different manuscripts, and finally had them printed. Remaining in the background himself (none of his publications named the translator, editor or publisher), he thus accomplished within ten years the edition in Dutch of practically all of Böhme's works. These were the manuscripts which eventually passed from the heirs of Van Beyerland into the possession of the Arnhem burgomaster Willem Gozewijn Huygens, who lent them to Gichtel.

The further history of the publication of Böhme's works is made clear in a number of public records (notarial deeds) which are found among the sources published by Kleerkooper-Van Stockum in 1914-16.[8] On 15 December 1681 Gichtel signed a contract with the Amsterdam printer Lucas Bijsterus in which the purchase by the mystic from the printer of a printing press and its accoutrements and of a specified amount of type is agreed; however, this equipment is to remain at the house of Bijsterus 'om deselve voor reeckening van Gichtel te gebruijcken voor zeker boek, dat hij bezig is te drucken' [in order to use it at Gichtel's expense for a certain book which he is in the process of getting into print].[9] Six weeks later, on 1 February 1682, Bijsterus enters into partnership with his brother-in-law David van Hoogenhuysen, son of an Amsterdam printer. (This probably relates to the printing house of their father-in-law Jacob van Velsen.) However, their partnership came to an early end when (on 9 and 27 May 1682) Bijsterus sold his share to his brother-in-law. On 23 May Gichtel entered into a new contract for the printing of Böhme's works, this time with father and son (Andries and David) Van Hoogenhuysen. The two Amsterdam printers agree 'te voldrucken en te voltrecken alle de wercken van Jacob Böhm in het Hoogduijts, dewelke meest door eenen Lucas Bijsterus gedaen sijn' [to complete printing of all the works of Jacob Böhme in German, most of which had been done by a certain Lucas Bijsterus].[10] The size of the edition is fixed at 1500 copies, to be printed with 'goede lijvige inkt, die niet overset, na dat de bladen behoorlijk gedroogt sullen sijn' [good thick ink which does not set-off once the sheets have properly dried]. At least four sheets are to be delivered per week, to be paid for by Gichtel at the rate of 12 guilders per sheet to cover composing and printing costs; an additional clause lays down that, should the Van Hoogenhuysens fall behind with payments of wages to their compositors and pressmen, Gichtel will have to pay them himself. The editor is to receive first and second proofs of every sheet and the printer is to be responsible for the final revise. Gichtel entrusts the printing material to the printers who agree to return it to him after completion of the job. The type and equipment are specified as follows:

'1. Brevier Swabacher
2. Brevier fractuer                                       730 lb
3. Garmont fractuer
4. Paragon.................................................51 1/2
5. Mediaen.................................................31
6. Text....................................................36 1/2
7. Augustijn...............................................28 1/2
8. Canon...................................................39
9. Enige vermengde letters..................................9

belopende tesamen.........................................925 1/2 lb

Verders enige Druckers gereetschappen, te weten
1. Enige gegote linien
2. Drie lb copere linien
3. Enige houte gesnede letteren, finalen &c. tot hetselve werk behorende
4. Vijf paer Cassen tot de letters
5. Fen Druk-pers, waerbij twee ramen, twee frisketten en vier borden
6. Drie copere ramen'


[1. Brevier Schwabacher

2. Brevier Fraktur                                        730 lb
3. Long Primer Fraktur
4. Paragon.................................................51 1/2
5. Pica....................................................31
6. Great Primer............................................36 1/2
7. English.................................................28 1/2
8. Two-line English........................................39
9. Some miscellaneous letters...............................9

altogether coming to......................................925 1/2 lb

Further some printer's equipment, viz.

1. Some cast rules
2. Three lb brass rules
3. Some woodcut letters, tail pieces etc. intended for the same book
4. Five pairs of cases for type
5. A printing press, with two chases, two friskets and four boards
6. Three brass chases.]

This contract contains a number of details which are of interest for book history in general, but what matters here is that it greatly illuminates the background to the production of Böhme's Wercken. It reveals that Gichtel acted not only as editor of the text, but also as financial backer for the printing, i.e. as publisher, and - by owning the printing material and guaranteeing the wages of the printing house employees - to some extent also as printer. The type face most in use in the work is indeed the Brevier. As the book, produced in duodecimo, consists altogether of 178 full gatherings (each gathering made up from one sheet),[11] it must have taken something like forty weeks to print, reckoning four to five sheets per week; bearing in mind that Bijsterus had already done part of the work before handing over his task to his relatives, printing was probably still completed in 1682.[12] There are indications - admittedly only sparse - that Gichtel also saw to the distribution of the work.[13]

There remains the problem how Gichtel, like so many mystics and theosophists suffering from constant lack of money, came by the means necessary to finance such a substantial production. Again, the answer is found in Gichtel's biography: his follower, the Arnhem burgomaster Willem Gozewijn Huygens, made 6000 guilders (a legacy from his sister) available 'an Kosten zum Druck und Verlag' [for printing and publishing expenses].[14]

Depending on the way one chooses to express the relationship between editor-publisher-printer and actual printers, the bibliographically formulated imprint may be 'Amsterdam [Johann Georg Gichtel] 1682' or 'Amsterdam [Andries and David van Hoogenhuysen, for Johann Georg Gichtel] 1682'.

(Trans. Anna E. C. Simoni)