Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Johann Carolus

Role / Field:

Pioneering German publisher credited with the world's first newspaper.

Born:

1575-03-26

Died:

1634-08-15

Century / Era:

1575s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Johann Carolus (26 March 1575 − 15 August 1634) was a German publisher of the first newspaper, called Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien (English: Account of all distinguished and commemorable stories). The Relation is recognised by the World Association of Newspapers, as well as many authors, as the world's first newspaper. Carolus published the German-language newspaper in Strasbourg, which had the status of a free imperial city in the Holy Roman Empire and was largely German-speaking. Johann Carolus was born in 1575 in Muhlbach-sur-Munster in the Holy Roman Empire.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was the son of a priest and his wife. He made an apprenticeship as a bookbinder and later worked as a bookseller, a scribe for a newspaper and as a printshop owner. Because of these professions, especially his job as scribe, he held good relationships to postmen and traders, what helped him later to create the Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien in 1605. Carolus died in 1634 in Strasbourg. In 2005, the World Association of Newspapers accepted evidence that the Carolus pamphlet was printed beginning in 1605, not 1609 as previously thought.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Carolus petition...

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Frequently Asked Questions about Johann Carolus