published in September 2025
The favorite book of Jörg Spinatsch
Jörg Spinatsch joined the Iron Library as an intern in 2023 and took up the position of scientific archivist in the GF Corporate Archives at the end of last year. He likes to present his favourite book during library tours: Agostino Ramelli's magnificent and multifaceted book from 1588 featuring machine designs from the Renaissance.
...comes from Chur, lives with his family in Zurich, and works as a scientific archivist in the corporate archives of Georg Fischer Ltd. After studying history and English language and literature at the University of Zurich, he gained his first experience in archiving. He then worked in education for many years before returning to the world of archives a few years ago. As an archivist, he also gives guided tours of the Iron Library and the Klostergut. His fascination with Ramelli's book has never left him since his first library tour.
The book in which I would like to play a role...
… is any book by Haruki Murakami, for example Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Immersing myself in this multi-layered narrative world would be a (literary) adventure of a very special kind.
The books that I would like to read a sequel to...
... is 1984 by George Orwell. 1984 has long been one of my favorite books. A sequel in which the “archivist” Winston Smith rises up against the system and rehabilitates himself seems to me, from today's perspective, more exciting than ever.
The book that is currently on my nightstand …
… is Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. His vivid portrayal of the unpredictability of life is thought-provoking. By linking everyday worries, personal fates, and authoritarian social developments, the author creates an oppressive atmosphere that stays with you.
In the Ernst Müller Room, the heart of the Iron Library, at the far left, gleaming in satin white, stands Agostino Ramelli's "Le diverse et artificiose machine" from 1588. The cover, which appears modest in comparison to other works in the library, should not detract from the technical-historical content and artistic design inside the book. Ramelli's Le diverse et artificiose machine marks the beginning of the fascinating machine books of the 16th to 18th centuries.
The book, full of gears, water scoops, mill wheels, and mechanical devices, testifies to the sparkling ingenuity of its author. Agostino Ramelli (1531–1600) was an Italian architect and military engineer in French service.
Under Gian Giacomo Medici (not a descendant of the Florentine Medici dynasty), who was a student of Leonardo da Vinci or at least attended his school at the Milan Academy of Sciences, Ramelli studied mathematics and military science. Ramelli's "Le diverse et artificiose machine", his only printed work, is in this sense a direct successor to the ideas and discoveries of da Vinci. With his book, which remarkably was not published in Latin but bilingually in Italian and French, Ramelli left posterity a richly illustrated treasure trove of over 190 technical designs.
What makes Ramelli's work so special is not only its technical content but also its graphic design. The precise copperplate engravings illustrate Ramelli's machines in great detail. Many of the devices and vehicles, which were designed for the military conquest of fortified structures such as cities and castles, seem futuristic for their time. The makers of science fiction films such as Mad Max or Blade Runner may have found their inspiration here.
I am particularly taken with the so-called book wheel. It is a sophisticated wooden construction with twelve individual reading desks, gears, and counterweights. One can literally imagine the Renaissance scholar sitting in his study, surrounded by folios, while the reading machine turns quietly, creaking, to present him with the next book.
Experts disagree about the technological value of Ramelli's inventions. Are they too complicated and unfeasible? Or are they constructible and functional after all? Either way, "Le diverse et artificiose machine" is a testimony to its time and yet ahead of its time, rich in mechanical ideas, and quite simply a beautifully designed book.
The engraved title page leaves no doubt about the book's Renaissance origins.
The author's portrait, showing his military engineering origins.
A 16th century browser: Ramelli's book wheel.