Hartmann Schedel (13 February 1440 – 28 November 1514), was a German physician, humanist and historian, one of the first cartographers to make use of the printing press. He was born in Nuremberg. Matheolus Perusinus served as his tutor.
Schedel is best known for his writing the text for the Nuremberg Chronicle, known as Schedelsche Weltchronik (English translation: Schedel's World Chronicle'), published in 1493 in Nuremberg. The Chronicle is therefore an incunabulum. This was probably a commission from Anton Koberger, as much of the point of the work was its lavish illustrations. Many of the maps in his Nuremberg Chronicle illustrated cities and countries for the first time ever, because not too much was known till then. Cities were featured in the chronicle as the material was ready and Cracow, Lübeck, Nissa or Neyß are described towards the end.
The Schedel chronicle also has a section on the kingdom of Poland and its origin (on page 263 vom koenigreich Poln und seinem ursprung). The history starts with Boleslaw I of Poland and makes no mention of a Mieszko I.
With the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1447, it became feasible to print books and maps for a larger customer basis. Books had previously been rare and very expensive, due to them having to be handwritten.
He was also a notable collector of books, art and old master prints. An album he had bound in 1504, which once contained five engravings by Jacopo de' Barberi, provides important evidence for dating de' Barbari's work.
Contents |
 Nuremberg |
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 Hans Böhm, the "Pauker von Niklashausen" |
 Anti-Semitic image |
 Burning Jews |
 Constantinople in 1493 |
 Jerusalem |
 The storming of Jerusalem |
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