Petri-Presse was the fine-press imprint of Benno Schwabe & Co., the Basel publishing house and printing firm whose lineage traces back to the printing shop founded by Johannes Petri in 1488. The imprint operated in the early 1940s under the artistic direction of Hungarian-born typographer and book artist Imre Reiner (1900-1987), who joined the firm in 1941 after succeeding Jan Tschichold in that role.[1] Reiner served as typographer for Benno Schwabe & Co. from 1942 onward.[2]
Design and History
The Petri-Presse produced only two known publications. The first, Albius Tibullus’ “Lied des Friedens” (Elegy I/X), appeared in 1942 with zinc drawings by Hans Erni, set in Poliphilus Antiqua.[3] The second and final imprint, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Novelle” (1943), featured ten original wood engravings by Reiner and was set in Baskerville Antiqua, printed at Benno Schwabe in Basel.[1] Planned further titles, including Shelley’s odes, were never realized due to wartime material shortages.[1]
The name “Petri-Presse” deliberately referenced the 1488 Basel workshop of Johannes Petri, which survives today as Schwabe Verlag.[1] The parent firm’s own printer’s mark, which appears on Schwabe publications, also dates to these early origins.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Schwabe signet is the printer’s mark of the Petri workshop, the 1488-founded origin of the current publishing house. It is attributed to the circle of Hans Holbein and illustrates the biblical passage Jeremiah 23:29: “Are not my words like fire… and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”[5][6] The mark thus connects every Schwabe publication, including those of the Petri-Presse, to the firm’s Renaissance-era printing heritage.
Typography and Design
Reiner’s typographic work for Benno Schwabe & Co. extended beyond the Petri-Presse volumes. In 1942 the firm published “Initialen von Imre Reiner,” a book introduced by Hermann Kienzle that presented 24 illustrations of historical initials followed by 73 pages of Reiner’s own initials combined with various text typography.[7] Reiner also designed the periodical “Officina,” whose first issue appeared in March 1941 under his artistic direction.[8] He later became a noted type designer, creating faces including Matura, Reiner Script and Reiner Black.[2]
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