Anton Edler von Schmid
Anton Edler von Schmid (23 January 1765 – 27 June 1855) was an Austrian printer and publisher of Hebrew books. Early life and education Anton Schmid was born in Zwettl, Lower Austria. His father, a cook at the Zwettl monastery, destined him for the clerical career, and with this view Anton received a collegiate education at the Abbey. He continued his studies at the Zwettl seminary in Vienna to prepare himself for the university, but, declining to become a clergyman, he had to leave the institution. In May 1785 he entered as an apprentice the establishment of the court printer Josef von Kurzböck, who at that time was engaged in printing Illyrian, Wallachian, and Russian writings, and, prompted by Emperor Joseph II, began to set up the printing of Hebrew and Oriental books. For this purpose, the emperor allowed some of Kurzböck's typesetters, among them Schmid, to attend the Academy of Oriental Languages. Career Schmid in consequence was assigned to Hebrew typesetting, for which he had a great predilection. Having become acquainted with Jewish scholars and booksellers and with the needs of the Hebrew reading public, he bought from Kurzböck his Hebrew types in order to establish himself as a