Print Culture in 16th-Century Europe

In the early decades of the 16th century, the printed book   assumed a significant role in disseminating ideas and texts across Europe. The spread of humanism, religious reform and scientific innovation would not have been possible without the development of typography as a powerful means of communication. The printing press had been introduced fifty years earlier, but only in the 16th century did society come to experience the full strength of the medium.

In this summer school, expert speakers will explain the traditional techniques of book production (printing, lay-out, illustration) and discuss publishing, selling and reading of books in those fascinating times. You will learn more about libraries and the emergence of copyright and censorship. And you will be introduced into specific areas of publishing, such as bible editions, literary fiction, humanist text editions, and ephemera.

Most sessions will take place in the Ruusbroec Institute’s library of the University of Antwerp. Lectures using the university’s collections will alternate with hands-on sessions. Visits will take participants to the Plantin-Moretus Museum and to an exhibition on 16th-century printing in the stylish Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library.

An unforgettable experience for every researcher who wants to learn more about printed  books and the role they played in 16th-century Europe.