Hortulus Animae

It was very popular in the early sixteenth century, printed in many versions, also abroad in Lyons and Kraków.

An earlier well-known work of devotion and of moral instruction, richly illustrated with stories, was "Der Selen Würtzgart", first printed at Ulm in 1483.

The first known edition of Hortulus Animae, dated 13 March 1498, was printed at Strasbourg by Wilhelm Schaffener of Ribeauvillé (Rappschwihr), followed by German versions appearing in 1501.

Later editions contained woodcuts by the well-known engravers Hans Springinklee and Erhard Schön, with beautiful miniatures in some existing manuscript examples, like the one at Vienna (Cod.

The work is mentioned briefly at the end of Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Man of the Crowd."