Johann Spies (ca. 1540-1623) was a German printer who published an anonymous book of tales about a legendary Doctor Faust who made a pact with the Devil. The story became the basis for several notable literary works, including Marlowe's Tragedy of Doctor Faustus and Goethe's Faust.
Biography edit
Spies came from a printing family and continued its legacy; at least three of his sons went on to become printers.[1]
Career edit
Spies published the book in 1587 in Frankfurt am Main under the title Historia von D. Johann Fausten.[2] The book is a compendium of anecdotes about a professor of theology and medicine who undertakes the study of sorcery, forms an alliance with the Devil (in the form of a friar named Mephistopheles), and undergoes a series of fantastic adventures. In the end, Faust is punished for his sins when Satan torments him and takes his soul to hell.
Within a year the book was translated into English, and by 1611 it had also appeared in French, Dutch, and Czech.
References edit
- ^ Baron, Frank (2013-03-01). Faustus on Trial: The Origins of Johann Spies's 'Historia' in an Age of Witch Hunting. Walter de Gruyter. p. 9. ISBN 978-3-11-093006-1.
- ^ Watt, Ian (1996). Myths of Modern Individualism: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, Robinson Crusoe. Cambridge University Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-521-58564-4.
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