Presenting the most comprehensive account of official print in the Holy Roman Empire during the
sixteenth century this study investigates the use of the printing press as an increasingly
important instrument in the expansion of authority. By comparing and contrasting publications
printed in the Duchy of Württemberg and in the Free Imperial City of Cologne the author traces
the tentative beginnings of collaboration between rulers and printers. Making use of hitherto
unexplored legal and business records the study offers a sophisticated analysis of the early
modern print trade which allows us to ascertain the business and market conditions that shaped
the production of administrative and legal documents such as police ordinances and
announcements.
