description
Janssonius (Jansson; Janz; Janszoon), Johannes (Jan) II
Janssonius family: 17th Century, influential in map publishing first in Arnheim, then in Amsterdam.
Johannes (Jan) II (1588–1664, son of Johannes I) married Elizabeth Hondius (daughter of Jocodus
Hondius the Elder and Colette van den Keere) in 1612, the same year he founded his own business in Amsterdam as a publisher of maps, atlases and globes. 1612 was also the year that Jocodus Hondius the Elder died, and Johannes II assisted his mother-in-law with continued publication of the Mercator-Hondius “Atlas”. He also created the “Atlas Minor” in 1628, with engravings by Pieter van den Keere and Abraham Goos. When Colette and her son Jodocus the Younger died in 1629, Johannes
II and another son of Colette’s, Henricus Hondius, worked together on a complete revision of the Mercator-Hondius “Atlas”. The result became known, from 1638, as “Atlas Novus,” and was published in several languages over many years. Johannes II continued expanding the Atlas, culminating in the 11-volume “Atlas Maior” published in 1658 and later, with editions in Latin, French, Dutch, German and English. He also created, in 1657, the eight-volume “Theatrum urbium” – a re-issue and expansion
of Braun & Hogenberg’s “Civitates” series, a feat made possible via Johannes I’s purchase of their plates in 1653.
Dates
1588–1664
Place of birth
Arnheim