Ratisbona / Regenspurg

Title

Ratisbona / Regenspurg

Representation of the city Regensburg, on reverse 1/2 view of Vienna and portraits of kings and philosophes. Page XCVIII.

ca. 1493

Artist

Schedel (1440-1515)

Hartmann Schedel (1440–1515) from Nuremberg is best known for the 1493 publication of the Schedel’s World Chronicle (Liber chronicarum), a universal history featuring 1,809 woodcuts—making it the most richly illustrated book of early printing. The chronicle, written in Latin by Schedel for merchants Sebald Schreyer and Sebastian Kammermeister, was translated into German by Georg Alt and printed by Anton Koberger. The illustrations came from the workshop of Michael Wolgemut and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff. The work covers world history up to 1492/93, divided into eight ages of the world, and draws on numerous sources, including Jacobus Foresta and Enea Silvio Piccolomini. Notably, it features highly accurate city views, many depicted in detail for the first time. Pleydenwurff introduced a new perspective by portraying cities from a fixed viewpoint, emphasizing their unique architectural and landscape features. The project was funded in part by the patron Sebald Schreyer.

Historical Description

Regensburg can prove an early first mention by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius with the establishment of a Roman camp in 179. The Roman history of Regensburg begins around 79 AD with the establishment of the cohort fort Kumpfmühl in the area of today's district Kumpfmühl-Ziegetsdorf-Neuprüll. From about 500 to 788, Regensburg was the headquarters of the Dukes of Bavaria from the Agilolfing dynasty. Regensburg became an important center of the early Bavarian tribal duchy. Regensburg is one of the oldest bishoprics in Germany, which had already existed for several decades when it was placed under canon law and thus under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome by Boniface in 739. In the 9th century Regensburg was one of the most important cities of the East Frankish Carolingian Empire. The Bavarian dukes of the Wittelsbach dynasty residing in the city could not stop the city's development towards independence due to internal conflicts after the Bavarian division of land in 1255. They gave up their residence in Regensburg at the Kornmarkt, left Regensburg and moved to Landshut in 1259. Probably around 1273, the construction of Regensburg's St. Peter's Cathedral began. Together with the Stone Bridge, the cathedral is the city's landmark. From 1293, construction also began on the medieval city wall with seven new city gate towers, which incorporated the new suburbs to the west and east and several churches and monasteries into the city area.