The Helmasperger Notarial Instrument
A parchment deed of 6 November 1455 recording the oath of Johann Fust in his lawsuit against Johannes Gutenberg over money advanced for “the work of the books”. It is the only contemporary record of their partnership.
Read the text at gutenberg-digital.p.sub.uni-goettingen.de ↗
The notary Ulrich Helmasperger, a cleric of the diocese of Bamberg, drew up the deed at Mainz. It certifies that Fust swore he had advanced Johannes Gutenberg 1,550 gulden, borrowed at six per cent, and that he claimed back with interest whatever had not gone into “the work of the books” for their common profit. It reports the first point of the suit and a judgment unfavourable to Gutenberg, and says nothing of the final outcome.
The library’s description speaks only of “the work of the books” and does not say that the deed names a Bible. It was given to the Göttingen library in 1741 and rediscovered in 1886, according to the library. See Gutenberg Prints the Bible.
Cited in
- c. 1454–1455, estimated date