Eyn gesprech, von dem gemaynen Schwabacher Kasten, als durch Bruder Hainrich, Knecht Ruprecht, Kemerin, Spuler, un(d) jrem Maister, des Handtwercks der wüllen Tuchmacher
Nuremberg: Hieronymus Höltzel, 1524.
Price: $5,500.00
Quarto: 18 x 14.3 cm. [14] pp. Collation: A-B4 (-blank B4)
ONE OF 3 PRINTINGS, ALL IN THE SAME YEAR.
For the printer, see VD16. Bound in modern marbled paper over thin paper boards. First leaf lightly soiled. Small nick in the blank margin of the title, early ink annotations to the same leaf, and a little marginal soiling to the text. With a woodcut title illustration showing workers in a weaver’s shop.
Written by a layman and set among working-class artisans, this pamphlet is unusual in its presentation of the hardships faced by ordinary people, rather than theological controversies that dominated Reformation literature.
In this dialogue, a certain “Brother Hainrich”, a former monk, enters a clothmakers’ workshop and explains the new communal relief fund that had been established for the poor. The title page woodcut depicting the weaver’s shop, in which are seen a woman at a spinning wheel, a worker operating a carder to prepare wool for spinning, two weavers at a large loom, and “Bruder Hainrich” addressing the workers.
The pamphlet, formerly attributed to Hans Sachs, is now attributed to Hans Herbst (c. 1470–1540), a supporter of the Lutheran Reformation. Herbst served as town judge in Schwabach from 1507 to 1540. He was briefly imprisoned following a denunciation by his brother-in-law, the staunchly traditionalist pastor Hans Linck—against whom Herbst had directed one of his pamphlets.
“The evangelical movement attempted to respond to common people’s sense of insecurity. The evangelicals justified relief funds [for the poor] on the grounds that anyone might fall into poverty and soon need assistance himself, perhaps even more than the beggars he now saw around him. Likewise, the pamphlet reveals the movement’s fervent faith in the power of the Gospel to inspire people to help one another. The author trusted in this so firmly that he believed the poor-relief fund would have sufficient resources even for other communal needs.”(Arffman p. 114)
“The pamphlet takes the form of an imaginary conversation among members of the woolen cloth weavers’ guild. During the conversation, the defenders of the poor-relief fund, led by a former monk named Heinrich, persuaded even the wool carder who had most stubbornly opposed the fund to abandon his position. The pamphlet provides an understanding of the arguments with which the evangelical reform of poor relief was defended and opposed among craftsmen. The author was so confident in the strength of his own arguments that he dared to give his opponents a voice as well.
“The carder who opposed the fund suspected that its administrators would use its resources to enjoy the pleasures of the table themselves. The fund would also encourage idleness and lead to a situation in which no one would work anymore. Furthermore, the margrave and the parish priest of Schwabach would not approve of it. Despite the new fund, some people would still wish to give their alms directly to those in need. On the other hand, the fund would actually increase poverty if people gave their property to it and left nothing as an inheritance for their children. Moreover, only one group of people in need would benefit from the fund, namely the poor who remained in their own homes.
“According to the fund’s defenders, there was no longer any need to fear a prohibition by the margrave, since he had already approved the poor-relief funds of Ansbach and Kitzingen. It would also be possible to prevent all abuses that might threaten the fund. In addition, its defenders justified the fund by referring to Luther’s Leisnig ordinance, published the previous year, and to Acts 4:32, according to which “true believers” had held everything in common. According to them, Christianity was a simple matter: faith merely had to be allowed to produce love. Faith and love belonged together: a person who believed in Christ demonstrated love toward his neighbors, and a person who helped his neighbors demonstrated his faith in Christ, which in turn rested solely upon Christ and his word.
“Confronted with this fervent faith, the carder yielded and continued to object only to the idea that he himself should also have to sell his property and give to the poor. Finally, he abandoned even this last reservation and accepted the evangelical position.”(Arffman 115-116).
VD 16 H 2228; Hohenemser 3967; Arffman, Kaarlo. “Auttamisen vallankumous: Luterilaisuuden yritys ratkaista köyhyyden aiheuttamat ongelmat.” Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 2008