SPRINGER (Sprenger), Balthasar – Persons of Indian Studies by Prof. Dr. Klaus Karttunen

SPRINGER (Sprenger), Balthasar. Vils, Ausserfern, Tyrol 14?? — 1509/11. Austrian Traveller in service of Welser trading house of Augsburg. Probably son of Johannes (Hans) Springer who was in service of the local prince, and Anastasia Steidlin (?). Very little is known of Balthasar’s own life. In Welser service he went to Portugal in 1503 and 1505 sailed in Portuguese fleet to India. After c. 5 months in India returned to Lisbon in 1506. In his travel journal he tells much of Africa, but also of Kerala

Publications: Travel diary first printed as Merfart und erfarung nüwer Schiffung und Wege zu viln onerkanten Inseln und Künigreichen. 15 p., 13 wood engravings. 1509, facsimile ed. Innsbruck 1998.

– English transl. by C. H. Coote, The Voyage from Lisbon to India, 1505-6. 55 p. 1894.

– Edited by Franz Schulze: Balthasar Springers Indienfahrt 1505/06. Wissenschaftliche Würdigung der Reiseberichte Springers zur Einführung in den Neudruck seiner „Meerfahrt“ vom Jahre 1509. Aus der Sammlung: Drucke und Holzschnitte des XV. und XVI. Jahrhunderts in getreuer Nachbildung. 100 p. & facs. Strassburg 1902.

Sources: *Fr. Ratzel, A.D.B. 35, 1893, 301f.; J. Reinhard, N.D.B. 24, 2010, 761f.; German Wikipedia.

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