Johann Veldener


Johann Veldener, also known as Jan Veldener or Johan Veldenaer; was an early printer in Flanders. He worked as a punchcutter and printer in Cologne, together with William Caxton, who may have financed his first books. They both left for Flanders in 1472. Evidence indicates that Veldener assisted Caxton in setting up his printing office in Bruges and helped printing his first work there, the 1472-1473 Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye by Raoul Lefèvre. Afterwards, Veldener went to Leuven and set up his printing company there, becoming the second printer in Leuven after John of Westphalia, and the third or fourth in the Netherlands. He entered the Leuven University on 30 July 1473 in the faculty of Medicine.
He left Leuven in 1477, after the death of Charles the Bold caused unrest in the city, and went to Utrecht. When that city also became troubled, he left for Culemborg, and finally returned to Leuven in 1484.
Veldener was also known for creating typefaces, both for his own work and for others, and Caxton is believed to have taken one of Veldener's typefaces with him to England and used it among others on his first edition of the Canterbury Tales. It is probable that he later bought a number of other typefaces from Veldener as well.
While in Utrecht, Veldener also supposedly wrote a Chronyck van Hollandt, Zeelandt, ende Westvrieslandt, which was reprinted in 1650 in Utrecht. Other works attributed to him are the Cronijcken van Enghelant, Cronijcken van Utrecht, Cronijcken van Gelre, Cronijcken van Cleve and the Cronijcken van Brabant. Currently it is believed that these works were anonymous and printed by him, and that the later attributions to him as writer are erroneous.

Works printed by Veldener

In Cologne (1471-1472)

In Leuven (1473-1477)

1473

1474

1475

1476

1477

In Utrecht (1478-1481)

1478

  • Epistolae et Evangelia or Alle die Epistolen en Ewangelien, metten Sermoenen van den gheheelen jare

1479

1480

  • Werner Rolevinck, Boeck datmen hiet Fasciculus temporum, reedited with some additional chronicles ; this is the first translation of this book
  • Jacobus de Voragine, Dat passionael ofte Golden Legend
  • Lucas de Tollentis, Litterae indulgentiarum anni jubilaei causa 1480

In Culemborg (1483-1484)

1483

  • Spieghel der menschlicker behoudenisse
  • Boec van den Houte
  • ''Spinroc''

1484

  • ''Kruidboeck in Dietsche''

In Leuven again (1484-1487?)

  • Alphabetum divini amoris
  • ''Vocabularius''

1484

1485

  • ''Herbarius in Latino''

1486

  • Matheolus Perusinus, De memoria augenda
  • Paulus de Middelburgo, Prognosticon
  • Cornelius Roelans de Mechlinia, ''Opusculum aegritudinum puerorum''

1487

  • ''Valuacie van den gelde''