Medau, Carl Wilhelm (Karel Vilém)

Carl Wilhelm (Karel Vilém) Medau (1791 - February 16, 1866) was a prominent German lithographer, writer, and publisher. Born in Havelberg, Brandenburg in 1791, Medau was trained as a printer in Szczecin, which was then in Pomerania and is now the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. By the age of twenty-two, Medau was an experienced printer, and moved to Litoměřice, where he began working for the printer F. K Laube. Following Laube's death in 1817, Medau became co-owner of the firm by marrying Laube's widow, Elizabeth. The firm was renamed 'C.W. Medau' and Medau began modernizing and expanding the operation. In 1818, he became the first printer in Bohemia to submit an application to operate a 'stone-working workshop'(kamenotiskařské dílny), though the application was denied because there wasn't a police station in Litoměřice that could operate as a censor to oversee printing. Medau eventually obtained a printing license. In addition to this press, Medau also owned publishing houses and bookshops, and at least two newspapers, the 'Pražké Noviny' and 'Ceská Včela'. He tried to establish a branch of his firm in Prague in 1830, but was not successful. It would not be until 1843 that Medau would successfully create a place for himself in Prague. A unsuccessful revolution against the Austrian Empire took place in Prague in June 1848, in which Medau participated. One repercussion of the revolution was a tightening of censorship laws, which greatly effected newspapers and publishers. Medau would be forced to close the branch in Prague in 1855 as a result of this crackdown, which led to his business suffering financial difficulties. Medau died on February 16, 1866 and was buried in Litoměřice Cemetery.