ABSTRACT
Sixteenth-century pamphlet sellers made a profit by marketing disasters. This contribution takes a closer look at this activity by focusing on apocalyptic motives and the commercial consequences of putting these themes in the pamphlet. By comparing the reactions to the All Saints Flood (1570) in Dutch and German pamphlets, the article highlights the religious and political contexts of the two regions to explain the different uses of the Apocalypse. In Lutheran regions in Germany, printers chose the Apocalypse as an interpretation, while in Catholic regions disasters were seen as God’s punishment. Because of the clear religious choice in Germany (at least after 1555), writers knew exactly what interpretation to put in their disaster pamphlets. In the Low Countries, however, authors focused on God’s wrath but, considering the diverse religious landscape, still included apocalyptic notions. In this way, they expanded the possible readership of the pamphlet, resulting in potentially bigger profits.
