Jan Mommaert was the name of two 17th-century printers in Brussels, father (active 1585–1627) and son (active 1646–1669). Between the dates of their activity, Martine van Straeten operated a printing house under the name Widow of Jan Mommaert.

Jan (I) Mommaert

The elder Mommaert began his printing business in Brussels in 1585, his first known publication being the terms of the city's surrender to

Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma Alexander Farnese ( it, Alessandro Farnese, es, Alejandro Farnesio; 27 August 1545 – 3 December 1592) was an Italian noble and condottiero and later a general of the Spanish army, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592 ...

: . In 1594 he printed a brief but richly illustrated account of the festive reception in Brussels of the new governor general,

Archduke Ernest of Austria Archduke Ernest of Austria (german: Ernst von Österreich; 15 June 1553 – 20 February 1595) was an Austrian prince, the son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria of Spain. Biography Born in Vienna, he was educated with his brothe ...

:
available on Google Books
. His shop was called simply ''De Druckerye'' ("The printing shop") and stood in the ''Stoofstraat'' behind

Brussels Town Hall The Town Hall (french: Hôtel de Ville, Dutch: ) of the City of Brussels is a landmark building and the seat of the City of Brussels municipality of Brussels, Belgium. It is located on the south side of the famous Grand-Place/Grote Markt (Brus ...

. Much of his printing was of the decrees of the city council. His printing mark was a hooded falcon with the motto (After darkness I hope for light).

Widow of Jan Mommaert

After Jan Mommaert the elder's death, probably in 1627, Martine van Straeten continued the family business under the name "Widow of Jan Mommaert". In 1631 she was in trouble with the authorities for publishing papal bulls without government permission, but she was pardoned on 16 September 1631.

Alphonse Wauters Alphonse Wauters (1817–1898) was a Belgian archivist and historian. Life Alphonse Guillaume Ghislain Wauters was born in Brussels on 13 April 1817. He was appointed archivist of the city of Brussels on 2 April 1842. He became a correspondent of ...

, "Mommaert (Jean)", ''

Biographie Nationale de Belgique The ''Biographie nationale de Belgique'' ( French; "National Biography of Belgium") is a biographical dictionary of Belgium. It was published by the Royal Academy of Belgium in 44 volumes between 1866 and 1986. A continuation series, entitled the ' ...

''
vol. 15
(Brussels, 1899), 88–91 In 1635 she printed the news pamphlet ''Nieuwe tydinghen uyt verscheyden quartieren van Europa, ghekomen tot Brussel tzedert den 18. tot den 23. Julii 1635'' (New tidings from various parts of Europe, come to Brussels since the 18 to 23 July 1635), which might be an issue of an otherwise lost newspaper.

Jan (II) Mommaert

The younger Jan Mommaert (1611–1669) was not only a printer but also a poet. He produced a much reprinted compilation of amorous, pastoral and burlesque lyrics, some of them his own work, under the title ''Het Brabands nachtegaelken'' (first edition 1650). His other poetic works are ''Stichtelyck ende vermakelyck proces'' (1658) and ''Den Christelycken dagh'' (1658). He served terms on the city council in 1654, 1660 and 1666.

Publications

Jan (I) Mommaert

* 1585: ''Articulen ende conditien vanden tractate aengegaen ende ghesloten tusschen die Prince van Parma ende de stadt van Bruessele'' * 1594: ''Descriptio et explicatio pegmatum, arcuum et spectaculorum, quae Bruxellae Brabantiae pridie calendas februarii anno MDXCIIII exhibita fuere, sub ingressum serenissimi principis Ernesti, Dei gratia archiducis Austriae'
Available on Google Books
* 1594: Maximilien de Vignacourt, ''Serenissimi Ernesti adventum gratulatur Belgicae Maxaemyliani V'' * 1596: ''Relation de ce que s'est exhibé en la ville de Bruxelles à l'entree du serenissime prince Albert, archiduc d'Austrice'' * 1597: Jean Scohier, ''L'estat et comportement des armes'' * 1599:

Philip Numan Philip Numan (born around 1550, died 19 February 1627) was a lawyer and humanist from the Low Countries, and a writer in prose and verse, sometimes under the pen name Hippophilus Neander. Life Numan was appointed city secretary of Brussels in 158 ...

, ''Panegyricus in adventum Alberti et Isabellae in civitate Bruxellensem'' * 1600:

Mateo Alemán : ''Aleman is sometimes used to refer to German.'' Mateo Alemán y del Nero (September 15471615?) was a Spanish novelist and writer. Biography Alemán was born in Seville, Andalucía, where he graduated from the University in 1564. He later st ...

, ''Primera parte de la vida del picaro Guzman de Alfarache'' * 1600:

States of Brabant The States of Brabant were the representation of the three estates (nobility, clergy and commons) to the court of the Duke of Brabant. The three estates were also called the States. Supported by the economic strength of the cities Antwerp, Bruss ...

, ''Instructie ghemaeckt by mijne heeren Staeten van Brabandt, achtervolghende der welcker men tellen sal allen de heerden van allen de schouwen'' * 1614: Andres de Soto, ''Het leven van den heyligen Joseph, bruydegom onser Liever Vrouwen'', translated by Franciscus Vanden Broecke

Widow of Jan Mommaert

* 1629: Jean Scohier, ''L'estat et comportement des armes'' (with a commendatory sonnet by Jan Mommaert the younger) * 1630: Juste Damant, ''Manière universelle de fortifier'' * 1635: ''Nieuwe tydinghen uyt verscheyden quartieren van Europa, ghekomen tot Brussel tzedert den 18. tot den 23. Julii 1635''
Available on Google Books
* 1636: Eberhard Wassenberg, ''Scherp sinnighe Neep-Dichten'' (with a commendatory verse by Jan Mommaert the younger)

Jan (II) Mommaert

* 1646:

Erycius Puteanus Erycius Puteanus (4 November 1574 – 17 September 1646) was a humanist and philologist from the Low Countries. Name Erycius Puteanus is a latinization of his name, which was rendered in various ways, including Hendrick van den Putte (Put, Putt ...

, ''Bruxella septenaria'' * 1647:

Pedro Calderón de la Barca Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño (, ; ; 17 January 160025 May 1681) was a Spanish dramatist, poet, writer and knight of the Order of Santiago. He is known as one of the most distinguished Baroque w ...

, ''Het leven is maer droom'' (a Dutch translation of '' Life Is a Dream'') * 1650: Jan Mommaert, ''Het Brabands nachtegaelken'' * 1656: Emmanuel d'Aranda, ''Relation de la captivité et liberté du sieur Emmanuel d'Aranda, mené esclave à Alger en 1640, et mis en liberté en 1642'' * 1660:

César Oudin César Oudin (''c''. 1560 – 1 October 1625) was a French Hispanist, translator, paremiologist, grammarian and lexicographer. He translated into French ''La Galatea'' and the first part of ''Don Quixote''. He wrote a ''Grammaire espagnolle expl ...

, ''Tesoro de las dos lenguas, española y francesa'' (corrected edition)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mommaert, Jan Businesspeople from Brussels Book publishers (people) of the Spanish Netherlands