Heinrich Eggestein

Heinrich Eggestein (born around 1415/1420 in Rosheim, Alsace; died 1488 or later; also spelled Eckstein or Eggesteyn) is considered, along with Johannes Mentelin, to be the earliest book printer in Strasbourg and therefore one of the earliest anywhere in Europe outside Mainz.

Before he came to Strasbourg in the beginning of the 1440s, Heinrich Eggestein had already acquired the academic degree of a Magister artium liberalium at a university which is still unknown. Already shortly after his arrival, he entered the service of Bishop Ruprecht von Pfalz-Simmern and held the office of Siegelbewahrer (keeper of the seal, also called Insiegler or Siegelträger) at the Strasbourg provost court, which he lost again in 1455. In 1461, this office was again given to him and three years later, he finally lost it.

He got the rights of a Strasbourg citizen in 1442. It is assumed that Eggestein became personally acquainted with Johannes Gutenberg, the later inventor of printing books with movable type, during his stay in Strasbourg in the 1440s and that he was able to form a lasting bond with him.

It is highly likely that Eggestein even travelled to Mainz himself in the 1450s to learn the art of book printing from Gutenberg. When this was and how long the stay lasted cannot be definitely resolved, due to sketchy source materials. Ferdinand Geldner holds the view that Eggestein was already in Mainz in 1454 and that might be why he lost the office of Siegelbewahrer in Strasbourg in 1455. If this were the case, then he could have watched the printing of the 42-line-per-page Gutenberg Bible firsthand. Geldner further suspects that Heinrich Eggestein actively participated in the typesetting and printing of the Türkenkalender, which was completed in the middle of December in 1454. He did not give up his Strasbourg citizen's rights until August 1457, however. If he had left Alsace so late, he would have admittedly arrived in Mainz after the break between Gutenberg and Johann Fust.

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