Publisher and bookseller. He founded the Italian bookstore Libreria Internazionale, now one of Europe's largest bookstores, and Italian publishing house Hoepli Editore. Over the course of his 65 year career, he edited over 7,000 books, created the Ulrico Hoepli Foundation, and built Italy's largest planetarium, the Planetario di Milano.
Ulrich Hoepli was born Johann Ulrich Höpli on February 18, 1847 in Tittwil, Thurgau, Switzerland. His parents were Mathias Höpli and Regina Gamper, both peasant Protestant farmers in rural Switzerland. Religion played an important role in Hoepli's early childhood with his mother encouraging his Protestant education. Hoepli's mother, despite being housebound and plagued with chronic illnesses, was so committed to her son's education that she borrowed books from the town's public library every week. This instilled in Hoepli a lifetime love of learning and reading, and he was able to read by himself at the age of five.
Hoepli attended primary school in Tuttwil and secondary school in Eschlikon, extraordinary accomplishments at the time for a child of peasants, before taking an apprenticeship in Winterthur with a pharmacist. However, pharmacy work did not interest Hoepli, so at the age of 15 he transferred to an apprenticeship in Zürich with bookseller Jakob Lucas Schabelitz, where he stayed from 1861-1866. During this time he was also connected with novelist and literary critic Johannes Scherr, who was a history professor at Zurich Polytechnic and encouraged Hoepli to attend his course.
After his apprenticeship with Schabelitz ended and he finished school, Hoepli worked for several different booksellers in Mainz, Leipzig, Breslau, Vienna, and Trieste from 1866-1870. While working in Wilhelm Essmann's Trieste bookshop in 1869, he met Ismail Pasha, the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, who invited Hoepli to join him to Cairo and organize his private library.
In 1870, he purchased a bookshop in Milan via mail order for 16,000 lire. On December 7, 1870 at the age of 23, he arrived in Italy and Italianized his name to Ulrico Hoepli. He took over the small bookshop in Milan by Theodor Laenger in the Galleria De Cristoforis, near Piazza Duomo, and renamed it Libreria Antiquaria Ulrico Hoepli.
Hoepli's bookstore soon became a point of reference where the educated bourgeoisie of Milan could find antique books and texts written in the main European languages. This was the beginning of Hoepli's infamous specialization in technical and scientific publications, dictionaries, manuals, and instructional books.
In 1871, he created the publishing house Hoepli Editore with the help of several influential Milanese collaborators, including Swiss-born Johann Isidor "Giovanni" Scheiwiller, who later became the Director until his tragic death in 1904. Johann's son, Giovanni Celestino Scheiwiller, would later become Attorney General and Director of Ulrico Hoepli Publishing House from 1930 to 1959.
The first book Hoepli Editore published was a French grammar book by Memy Bevilacqua in 1871. In 1872, Hoepli married Elisa Häberlin from Zurich-Seebach. The same year, Hoepli created his famous series The Technical Library and The Hoepli Manuals, dedicated to high school students, professional institutes and artisans
In 1923, wanting to ensure to continuity of the business he had created, Hoepli set up a family limited company. Although he and his wife had no biological children, he made his "adopted" grandchildren and family members managers, directors and successors of his businesses, thus ensuring that it would remain a family-run company.
Hoepli was a generous patronage of cultural development throughout his years of success. In 1921 he founded the Ulrico Hoepli Popular Library. He also created the Ulrico Hoepli Foundation in Switzerland, whose aim is to "support institutions and initiatives of public utility or that work to promote the sciences and the arts in Switzerland".
A lifelong lover of astronomy, he also financed the construction of Italy's largest planetarium, the Planetario di Milano. On January 10, 1929, Hoepli donated the planetarium to the city for public use while also celebrating the 60th anniversary of his arrival in Italy. Speaking at the planetarium's dedication, Hoepli said, "To the generous Milan, my adopted homeland, I give, with a grateful heart, the Planetarium." Benito Mussolini arrived from Rome to inaugurate it on May 20, 1930.
During Hoepli's lifetime he was awarded the following honors: Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1877), Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1822), Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1888), Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1890), Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1894), and Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1907).
Hoepli died on January 24, 1935 in Milan at the age of 87. He was buried in a monument in the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano next to his wife Elisa. The monument, created by Italian sculptor Adolfo Wildt, is made of a white marble base upon which rests a large open book containing the coats of arms of Switzerland and the Municipality of Milan. Written across the book in gold script are the maxims of Leonardo da Vinci ("Life well spent is long") and St. Ambrose ("Death is the way of life").
On February 18, 1935, Hoepli was appointed an honorary citizen of Milan, which had been scheduled before his death and was awarded posthumously. Hoepli's bookstore and publishing house are still run today by the Hoepli family at Via Hoepli 5 in Milan. In the late 1930's the gallery where the original bookstore was located was demolished. New buildings were constructed and the Hoepli bookshop was given a spot in the same area where it was originally located. Over the last several decades, Hoepli has expanded its premises and now contains over 500,000 book titles spread across six floors, establishing itself as one of Europe's largest bookstores.
Biography by Ashley Riley (family member)
Ulrich Hoepli was born Johann Ulrich Höpli on February 18, 1847 in Tittwil, Thurgau, Switzerland. His parents were Mathias Höpli and Regina Gamper, both peasant Protestant farmers in rural Switzerland. Religion played an important role in Hoepli's early childhood with his mother encouraging his Protestant education. Hoepli's mother, despite being housebound and plagued with chronic illnesses, was so committed to her son's education that she borrowed books from the town's public library every week. This instilled in Hoepli a lifetime love of learning and reading, and he was able to read by himself at the age of five.
Hoepli attended primary school in Tuttwil and secondary school in Eschlikon, extraordinary accomplishments at the time for a child of peasants, before taking an apprenticeship in Winterthur with a pharmacist. However, pharmacy work did not interest Hoepli, so at the age of 15 he transferred to an apprenticeship in Zürich with bookseller Jakob Lucas Schabelitz, where he stayed from 1861-1866. During this time he was also connected with novelist and literary critic Johannes Scherr, who was a history professor at Zurich Polytechnic and encouraged Hoepli to attend his course.
After his apprenticeship with Schabelitz ended and he finished school, Hoepli worked for several different booksellers in Mainz, Leipzig, Breslau, Vienna, and Trieste from 1866-1870. While working in Wilhelm Essmann's Trieste bookshop in 1869, he met Ismail Pasha, the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, who invited Hoepli to join him to Cairo and organize his private library.
In 1870, he purchased a bookshop in Milan via mail order for 16,000 lire. On December 7, 1870 at the age of 23, he arrived in Italy and Italianized his name to Ulrico Hoepli. He took over the small bookshop in Milan by Theodor Laenger in the Galleria De Cristoforis, near Piazza Duomo, and renamed it Libreria Antiquaria Ulrico Hoepli.
Hoepli's bookstore soon became a point of reference where the educated bourgeoisie of Milan could find antique books and texts written in the main European languages. This was the beginning of Hoepli's infamous specialization in technical and scientific publications, dictionaries, manuals, and instructional books.
In 1871, he created the publishing house Hoepli Editore with the help of several influential Milanese collaborators, including Swiss-born Johann Isidor "Giovanni" Scheiwiller, who later became the Director until his tragic death in 1904. Johann's son, Giovanni Celestino Scheiwiller, would later become Attorney General and Director of Ulrico Hoepli Publishing House from 1930 to 1959.
The first book Hoepli Editore published was a French grammar book by Memy Bevilacqua in 1871. In 1872, Hoepli married Elisa Häberlin from Zurich-Seebach. The same year, Hoepli created his famous series The Technical Library and The Hoepli Manuals, dedicated to high school students, professional institutes and artisans
In 1923, wanting to ensure to continuity of the business he had created, Hoepli set up a family limited company. Although he and his wife had no biological children, he made his "adopted" grandchildren and family members managers, directors and successors of his businesses, thus ensuring that it would remain a family-run company.
Hoepli was a generous patronage of cultural development throughout his years of success. In 1921 he founded the Ulrico Hoepli Popular Library. He also created the Ulrico Hoepli Foundation in Switzerland, whose aim is to "support institutions and initiatives of public utility or that work to promote the sciences and the arts in Switzerland".
A lifelong lover of astronomy, he also financed the construction of Italy's largest planetarium, the Planetario di Milano. On January 10, 1929, Hoepli donated the planetarium to the city for public use while also celebrating the 60th anniversary of his arrival in Italy. Speaking at the planetarium's dedication, Hoepli said, "To the generous Milan, my adopted homeland, I give, with a grateful heart, the Planetarium." Benito Mussolini arrived from Rome to inaugurate it on May 20, 1930.
During Hoepli's lifetime he was awarded the following honors: Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1877), Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1822), Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1888), Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1890), Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1894), and Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1907).
Hoepli died on January 24, 1935 in Milan at the age of 87. He was buried in a monument in the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano next to his wife Elisa. The monument, created by Italian sculptor Adolfo Wildt, is made of a white marble base upon which rests a large open book containing the coats of arms of Switzerland and the Municipality of Milan. Written across the book in gold script are the maxims of Leonardo da Vinci ("Life well spent is long") and St. Ambrose ("Death is the way of life").
On February 18, 1935, Hoepli was appointed an honorary citizen of Milan, which had been scheduled before his death and was awarded posthumously. Hoepli's bookstore and publishing house are still run today by the Hoepli family at Via Hoepli 5 in Milan. In the late 1930's the gallery where the original bookstore was located was demolished. New buildings were constructed and the Hoepli bookshop was given a spot in the same area where it was originally located. Over the last several decades, Hoepli has expanded its premises and now contains over 500,000 book titles spread across six floors, establishing itself as one of Europe's largest bookstores.
Biography by Ashley Riley (family member)
Publisher and bookseller. He founded the Italian bookstore Libreria Internazionale, now one of Europe's largest bookstores, and Italian publishing house Hoepli Editore. Over the course of his 65 year career, he edited over 7,000 books, created the Ulrico Hoepli Foundation, and built Italy's largest planetarium, the Planetario di Milano.
Ulrich Hoepli was born Johann Ulrich Höpli on February 18, 1847 in Tittwil, Thurgau, Switzerland. His parents were Mathias Höpli and Regina Gamper, both peasant Protestant farmers in rural Switzerland. Religion played an important role in Hoepli's early childhood with his mother encouraging his Protestant education. Hoepli's mother, despite being housebound and plagued with chronic illnesses, was so committed to her son's education that she borrowed books from the town's public library every week. This instilled in Hoepli a lifetime love of learning and reading, and he was able to read by himself at the age of five.
Hoepli attended primary school in Tuttwil and secondary school in Eschlikon, extraordinary accomplishments at the time for a child of peasants, before taking an apprenticeship in Winterthur with a pharmacist. However, pharmacy work did not interest Hoepli, so at the age of 15 he transferred to an apprenticeship in Zürich with bookseller Jakob Lucas Schabelitz, where he stayed from 1861-1866. During this time he was also connected with novelist and literary critic Johannes Scherr, who was a history professor at Zurich Polytechnic and encouraged Hoepli to attend his course.
After his apprenticeship with Schabelitz ended and he finished school, Hoepli worked for several different booksellers in Mainz, Leipzig, Breslau, Vienna, and Trieste from 1866-1870. While working in Wilhelm Essmann's Trieste bookshop in 1869, he met Ismail Pasha, the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, who invited Hoepli to join him to Cairo and organize his private library.
In 1870, he purchased a bookshop in Milan via mail order for 16,000 lire. On December 7, 1870 at the age of 23, he arrived in Italy and Italianized his name to Ulrico Hoepli. He took over the small bookshop in Milan by Theodor Laenger in the Galleria De Cristoforis, near Piazza Duomo, and renamed it Libreria Antiquaria Ulrico Hoepli.
Hoepli's bookstore soon became a point of reference where the educated bourgeoisie of Milan could find antique books and texts written in the main European languages. This was the beginning of Hoepli's infamous specialization in technical and scientific publications, dictionaries, manuals, and instructional books.
In 1871, he created the publishing house Hoepli Editore with the help of several influential Milanese collaborators, including Swiss-born Johann Isidor "Giovanni" Scheiwiller, who later became the Director until his tragic death in 1904. Johann's son, Giovanni Celestino Scheiwiller, would later become Attorney General and Director of Ulrico Hoepli Publishing House from 1930 to 1959.
The first book Hoepli Editore published was a French grammar book by Memy Bevilacqua in 1871. In 1872, Hoepli married Elisa Häberlin from Zurich-Seebach. The same year, Hoepli created his famous series The Technical Library and The Hoepli Manuals, dedicated to high school students, professional institutes and artisans
In 1923, wanting to ensure to continuity of the business he had created, Hoepli set up a family limited company. Although he and his wife had no biological children, he made his "adopted" grandchildren and family members managers, directors and successors of his businesses, thus ensuring that it would remain a family-run company.
Hoepli was a generous patronage of cultural development throughout his years of success. In 1921 he founded the Ulrico Hoepli Popular Library. He also created the Ulrico Hoepli Foundation in Switzerland, whose aim is to "support institutions and initiatives of public utility or that work to promote the sciences and the arts in Switzerland".
A lifelong lover of astronomy, he also financed the construction of Italy's largest planetarium, the Planetario di Milano. On January 10, 1929, Hoepli donated the planetarium to the city for public use while also celebrating the 60th anniversary of his arrival in Italy. Speaking at the planetarium's dedication, Hoepli said, "To the generous Milan, my adopted homeland, I give, with a grateful heart, the Planetarium." Benito Mussolini arrived from Rome to inaugurate it on May 20, 1930.
During Hoepli's lifetime he was awarded the following honors: Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1877), Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1822), Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1888), Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1890), Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1894), and Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1907).
Hoepli died on January 24, 1935 in Milan at the age of 87. He was buried in a monument in the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano next to his wife Elisa. The monument, created by Italian sculptor Adolfo Wildt, is made of a white marble base upon which rests a large open book containing the coats of arms of Switzerland and the Municipality of Milan. Written across the book in gold script are the maxims of Leonardo da Vinci ("Life well spent is long") and St. Ambrose ("Death is the way of life").
On February 18, 1935, Hoepli was appointed an honorary citizen of Milan, which had been scheduled before his death and was awarded posthumously. Hoepli's bookstore and publishing house are still run today by the Hoepli family at Via Hoepli 5 in Milan. In the late 1930's the gallery where the original bookstore was located was demolished. New buildings were constructed and the Hoepli bookshop was given a spot in the same area where it was originally located. Over the last several decades, Hoepli has expanded its premises and now contains over 500,000 book titles spread across six floors, establishing itself as one of Europe's largest bookstores.
Biography by Ashley Riley (family member)
Ulrich Hoepli was born Johann Ulrich Höpli on February 18, 1847 in Tittwil, Thurgau, Switzerland. His parents were Mathias Höpli and Regina Gamper, both peasant Protestant farmers in rural Switzerland. Religion played an important role in Hoepli's early childhood with his mother encouraging his Protestant education. Hoepli's mother, despite being housebound and plagued with chronic illnesses, was so committed to her son's education that she borrowed books from the town's public library every week. This instilled in Hoepli a lifetime love of learning and reading, and he was able to read by himself at the age of five.
Hoepli attended primary school in Tuttwil and secondary school in Eschlikon, extraordinary accomplishments at the time for a child of peasants, before taking an apprenticeship in Winterthur with a pharmacist. However, pharmacy work did not interest Hoepli, so at the age of 15 he transferred to an apprenticeship in Zürich with bookseller Jakob Lucas Schabelitz, where he stayed from 1861-1866. During this time he was also connected with novelist and literary critic Johannes Scherr, who was a history professor at Zurich Polytechnic and encouraged Hoepli to attend his course.
After his apprenticeship with Schabelitz ended and he finished school, Hoepli worked for several different booksellers in Mainz, Leipzig, Breslau, Vienna, and Trieste from 1866-1870. While working in Wilhelm Essmann's Trieste bookshop in 1869, he met Ismail Pasha, the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, who invited Hoepli to join him to Cairo and organize his private library.
In 1870, he purchased a bookshop in Milan via mail order for 16,000 lire. On December 7, 1870 at the age of 23, he arrived in Italy and Italianized his name to Ulrico Hoepli. He took over the small bookshop in Milan by Theodor Laenger in the Galleria De Cristoforis, near Piazza Duomo, and renamed it Libreria Antiquaria Ulrico Hoepli.
Hoepli's bookstore soon became a point of reference where the educated bourgeoisie of Milan could find antique books and texts written in the main European languages. This was the beginning of Hoepli's infamous specialization in technical and scientific publications, dictionaries, manuals, and instructional books.
In 1871, he created the publishing house Hoepli Editore with the help of several influential Milanese collaborators, including Swiss-born Johann Isidor "Giovanni" Scheiwiller, who later became the Director until his tragic death in 1904. Johann's son, Giovanni Celestino Scheiwiller, would later become Attorney General and Director of Ulrico Hoepli Publishing House from 1930 to 1959.
The first book Hoepli Editore published was a French grammar book by Memy Bevilacqua in 1871. In 1872, Hoepli married Elisa Häberlin from Zurich-Seebach. The same year, Hoepli created his famous series The Technical Library and The Hoepli Manuals, dedicated to high school students, professional institutes and artisans
In 1923, wanting to ensure to continuity of the business he had created, Hoepli set up a family limited company. Although he and his wife had no biological children, he made his "adopted" grandchildren and family members managers, directors and successors of his businesses, thus ensuring that it would remain a family-run company.
Hoepli was a generous patronage of cultural development throughout his years of success. In 1921 he founded the Ulrico Hoepli Popular Library. He also created the Ulrico Hoepli Foundation in Switzerland, whose aim is to "support institutions and initiatives of public utility or that work to promote the sciences and the arts in Switzerland".
A lifelong lover of astronomy, he also financed the construction of Italy's largest planetarium, the Planetario di Milano. On January 10, 1929, Hoepli donated the planetarium to the city for public use while also celebrating the 60th anniversary of his arrival in Italy. Speaking at the planetarium's dedication, Hoepli said, "To the generous Milan, my adopted homeland, I give, with a grateful heart, the Planetarium." Benito Mussolini arrived from Rome to inaugurate it on May 20, 1930.
During Hoepli's lifetime he was awarded the following honors: Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1877), Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1822), Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1888), Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1890), Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1894), and Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1907).
Hoepli died on January 24, 1935 in Milan at the age of 87. He was buried in a monument in the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano next to his wife Elisa. The monument, created by Italian sculptor Adolfo Wildt, is made of a white marble base upon which rests a large open book containing the coats of arms of Switzerland and the Municipality of Milan. Written across the book in gold script are the maxims of Leonardo da Vinci ("Life well spent is long") and St. Ambrose ("Death is the way of life").
On February 18, 1935, Hoepli was appointed an honorary citizen of Milan, which had been scheduled before his death and was awarded posthumously. Hoepli's bookstore and publishing house are still run today by the Hoepli family at Via Hoepli 5 in Milan. In the late 1930's the gallery where the original bookstore was located was demolished. New buildings were constructed and the Hoepli bookshop was given a spot in the same area where it was originally located. Over the last several decades, Hoepli has expanded its premises and now contains over 500,000 book titles spread across six floors, establishing itself as one of Europe's largest bookstores.
Biography by Ashley Riley (family member)
Bio by: and76
Inscription
A Tuttwil 18 Febbraio 1847. A Milano 24 Gennaio 1935.
Gravesite Details
The Hoepli monument was created by Italian sculptor Adolfo Wildt.
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Hoepli memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
