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Electoral Saxon Printing and Censorship Acts from 1549 to 1717, Leipzig (1724)
Source: Universität Freiburg, Institut für Rechtsgeschichte, Frei 81: E 10 - 215
Citation:
Electoral Saxon Printing and Censorship Acts from 1549 to 1717, Leipzig (1724), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
themselves the copies which, according to the
privileges they have received from Us for their
books, they are supposed to send in, or fail to
do so in due course of time, and are acting counter
to Our many orders concerning the censorship of
books.
Since We are not inclined to tolerate such
irresponsible and punishable activities any longer,
but, on the contrary, are determined to forcefully
and effectively prevent the aforesaid abuses and
disorders, We therefore earnestly order hereby all
printers, booksellers, and copper-plate engravers
living in Our Electorate and lands, as well as those
booksellers and engravers who visit the Leipzig
fairs, or who otherwise sell their books, works,
and engravings in Our lands, that – on pain of
confiscation of their books, closure of their shops,
and other severe punishments as the case may be –
henceforth none of them whosoever shall presume
to put in print, engrave, or offer for sale publicly
or secretly, any offensive works, lampoons, copper
plate engravings and pamphlets, both in religious
and political matters. Moreover, none of them
shall print any books that haven’t been examined
by censors or which do not state the place of
publication or the names of the authors and
publishers; they shall not take advantage of people
by charging them excessive prices in an un-
Christian thirst for profit; and they are to refrain
from illicit reprinting which causes great harm to
those who have honestly acquired books from
their authors and who may well have obtained
privileges for them. Printers and booksellers
should, on the contrary, be intent upon bringing
out, acquiring and selling, for fair and reasonable
prices, works that are edifying, useful, and good.
Those who have received privileges from Us for
their books are to print these word for word at the
beginning of the latter, and they must also deliver,
during the first week of the Leipzig fair, to the
Treasury official in Leipzig who is responsible for
books, the number of copies due according to the
respective privileges (these copies should be
properly collated and have no defects). Where
someone fails to do this, he must, by the end of
the second week, deliver twice that number of
copies. Moreover, where someone fails to
deliver any copies whatsoever during the first
fair at which he starts selling his books, he is to
forfeit all copies and his privilege: this punishment
will be executed without fail. Thus, everyone now
knows what he has to pay heed to and that he
must observe what We have decreed after good
consideration in order to avoid coming to grief
and incurring punishment. In proof of which We
have signed this mandate with Our own
signature, knowingly affixed Our Electoral privy
seal to it, and also arranged for it to be printed so
that it comes to everyone’s knowledge. Done at Dresden,
on 27 February 1686.
Johann Georg, Elector,
(place of seal)
Carl, Baron of Friesen,
Theod. Werner, S.
Mandate,
To the effect that infamous works – in particular, all kinds of prejudicial newspaper
articles and frequently false reports – are to be assiduously investigated.
18 March 1702.
By the Grace of God, Fredrick Augustus, King
of Poland, Duke of Saxony, Jülich, Cleves, Berg,
Engern, Westphalia, Elector etc. Dear faithful
followers, We have noticed that both the
circulation and publication of all kinds of
infamous works and lampoons against high and
low seem to have spread almost everywhere, and
that these pasquinades are even affixed to street-
corners and thrown into people’s houses. We have
also often seen in the foreign newspapers how all
kinds of unfavourable commentaries and many
prejudicial, frequently false, reports have been
written and filed both from here and Leipzig.
Since both these tendencies cause Us the greatest
displeasure and We are not willing to permit either
the publication of such infamous works or the
filing of such unwarranted articles, We herewith
demand of you that you assiduously watch out for
suchlike activities in your city, and that regarding
any such infamous works and pasquinades that
have appeared or may appear in future in your city –
even if these are just directed against private persons –
as well as regarding any inappropriate newspaper
reports of the kind mentioned above that have
appeared so far and any that appear in future,
you carry out the most rigorous investigations
and, where the authors can be got hold of, you
have them arrested if upon consideration you
think this necessary; and that in every case you
submit a report to Us here so that We may
decide what further measures are to be taken
and so that such authors are punished not just in
accordance with the obtaining laws, but,
depending on the circumstances, also with
extraordinary, more severe punishments,
whereby this is to apply to everyone without
distinction. Such is Our will. Date: Dresden,
18 March 1702.
J. B. Birnbaum,
Johann Frost, S.
To Our dear faithful followers,
the city council of Leipzig.
Rescript
To the consistories and universities, against prohibited books and works which
are published without the names of their authors, as well as an order
that printers shall pledge themselves under oath to
proceed as required. 24 July 1711.
By the Grace of God, Frederick Augustus, King of
Poland, Duke of Saxony etc. Worthy, learned,
dear, devout, and faithful followers! You are of
course aware of how, regarding the swearing in of
printers and the redressment of those abuses which
have been spreading throughout the printing and
bookselling trade, various orders have been
issued to this purpose and how public notices
and open letters to this effect have also been
produced.
However, since notwithstanding this and
the earnest warnings that have been made on
these occasions, the printing and sale of all kinds
of infamous and prohibited works and pamphlets
No Transcription available.
Source: Universität Freiburg, Institut für Rechtsgeschichte, Frei 81: E 10 - 215
Citation:
Electoral Saxon Printing and Censorship Acts from 1549 to 1717, Leipzig (1724), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | Commentaries: [1]
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
themselves the copies which, according to the
privileges they have received from Us for their
books, they are supposed to send in, or fail to
do so in due course of time, and are acting counter
to Our many orders concerning the censorship of
books.
Since We are not inclined to tolerate such
irresponsible and punishable activities any longer,
but, on the contrary, are determined to forcefully
and effectively prevent the aforesaid abuses and
disorders, We therefore earnestly order hereby all
printers, booksellers, and copper-plate engravers
living in Our Electorate and lands, as well as those
booksellers and engravers who visit the Leipzig
fairs, or who otherwise sell their books, works,
and engravings in Our lands, that – on pain of
confiscation of their books, closure of their shops,
and other severe punishments as the case may be –
henceforth none of them whosoever shall presume
to put in print, engrave, or offer for sale publicly
or secretly, any offensive works, lampoons, copper
plate engravings and pamphlets, both in religious
and political matters. Moreover, none of them
shall print any books that haven’t been examined
by censors or which do not state the place of
publication or the names of the authors and
publishers; they shall not take advantage of people
by charging them excessive prices in an un-
Christian thirst for profit; and they are to refrain
from illicit reprinting which causes great harm to
those who have honestly acquired books from
their authors and who may well have obtained
privileges for them. Printers and booksellers
should, on the contrary, be intent upon bringing
out, acquiring and selling, for fair and reasonable
prices, works that are edifying, useful, and good.
Those who have received privileges from Us for
their books are to print these word for word at the
beginning of the latter, and they must also deliver,
during the first week of the Leipzig fair, to the
Treasury official in Leipzig who is responsible for
books, the number of copies due according to the
respective privileges (these copies should be
properly collated and have no defects). Where
someone fails to do this, he must, by the end of
the second week, deliver twice that number of
copies. Moreover, where someone fails to
deliver any copies whatsoever during the first
fair at which he starts selling his books, he is to
forfeit all copies and his privilege: this punishment
will be executed without fail. Thus, everyone now
knows what he has to pay heed to and that he
must observe what We have decreed after good
consideration in order to avoid coming to grief
and incurring punishment. In proof of which We
have signed this mandate with Our own
signature, knowingly affixed Our Electoral privy
seal to it, and also arranged for it to be printed so
that it comes to everyone’s knowledge. Done at Dresden,
on 27 February 1686.
Johann Georg, Elector,
(place of seal)
Carl, Baron of Friesen,
Theod. Werner, S.
Mandate,
To the effect that infamous works – in particular, all kinds of prejudicial newspaper
articles and frequently false reports – are to be assiduously investigated.
18 March 1702.
By the Grace of God, Fredrick Augustus, King
of Poland, Duke of Saxony, Jülich, Cleves, Berg,
Engern, Westphalia, Elector etc. Dear faithful
followers, We have noticed that both the
circulation and publication of all kinds of
infamous works and lampoons against high and
low seem to have spread almost everywhere, and
that these pasquinades are even affixed to street-
corners and thrown into people’s houses. We have
also often seen in the foreign newspapers how all
kinds of unfavourable commentaries and many
prejudicial, frequently false, reports have been
written and filed both from here and Leipzig.
Since both these tendencies cause Us the greatest
displeasure and We are not willing to permit either
the publication of such infamous works or the
filing of such unwarranted articles, We herewith
demand of you that you assiduously watch out for
suchlike activities in your city, and that regarding
any such infamous works and pasquinades that
have appeared or may appear in future in your city –
even if these are just directed against private persons –
as well as regarding any inappropriate newspaper
reports of the kind mentioned above that have
appeared so far and any that appear in future,
you carry out the most rigorous investigations
and, where the authors can be got hold of, you
have them arrested if upon consideration you
think this necessary; and that in every case you
submit a report to Us here so that We may
decide what further measures are to be taken
and so that such authors are punished not just in
accordance with the obtaining laws, but,
depending on the circumstances, also with
extraordinary, more severe punishments,
whereby this is to apply to everyone without
distinction. Such is Our will. Date: Dresden,
18 March 1702.
J. B. Birnbaum,
Johann Frost, S.
To Our dear faithful followers,
the city council of Leipzig.
Rescript
To the consistories and universities, against prohibited books and works which
are published without the names of their authors, as well as an order
that printers shall pledge themselves under oath to
proceed as required. 24 July 1711.
By the Grace of God, Frederick Augustus, King of
Poland, Duke of Saxony etc. Worthy, learned,
dear, devout, and faithful followers! You are of
course aware of how, regarding the swearing in of
printers and the redressment of those abuses which
have been spreading throughout the printing and
bookselling trade, various orders have been
issued to this purpose and how public notices
and open letters to this effect have also been
produced.
However, since notwithstanding this and
the earnest warnings that have been made on
these occasions, the printing and sale of all kinds
of infamous and prohibited works and pamphlets
No Transcription available.