Holle, Lienhart (? - 1492)

Lienhart Holle (? - 1492) was a German printer, living and working in Ulm. He is most noted for his 1482 Ptolemy, the first edition of Geographia printed north of the Alps. Little is known of his life. He appears in the historical record in 1478 as a formschneider and woodcut dealer, among other things printing playing cards. He would then become the third book printer in Ulm, producing some outstanding works of the incunable period, most notably his edition of Ptolemy. Masterpiece though this was, it ruined him financially within two years of its publication. The elaborate designs of his books made them extravagantly expensive to produce, and he could only raise the capital by borrowing it, mortgaging his printing materials to a Venetian patron, Justus de Albano. As with many early printed works, a broad market failed to materialize, and Holle was unable to pay his debts. De Albano seized the blocks and typeset for nonpayment, and Holle was forced to flee Ulm in 1484. He is thought to have attempted a return to the city in later years but there is no record of him that appears after 1492.