[Biblia, Thet är all then Helgha scrifft på swensko. 6 parts in one volume. Upsala, Jürgen Richolff the Younger, 1540-1541]. Fol. 716 foliated leaves (instead of 760 leaves; without the first six leaves of preliminaries, 107 leaves [instead of123 leaves; B3-6, C1-5, D-E6, F1-2and 5-6, G-T6, V1-2 and 5-6, X4], 158 leaves [Aa-Zz6, aa-bb6, cc8]; 78 leaves [AA-NN6]; 138 leaves [instead of 140 leaves, Aaa-Kkk6, Lll1-2 and 5-6, Mmm-Yyy6, Zzz8], 88 pp. [instead of 90 pp., Aaa-Ooo6, PPp1-2 and 4-5], 147 pp. [instead of 165 pp.; A-Z6, Aa6, Bb1-5]). With 14 full-page woodcuts, 15 half-page and 7 quarter-page text woodcuts (instead of ?). Half leather binding of the 19th century with gilt-stamped spine title and somewhat ornamental gilt spine. (Rubbed). Collijn, I. Sveriges bibliografi intill år 1600, p. 88. Darlow-Moule 8808. First edition of the first Swedish complete Bible, initiated by King Gustav I Wasa and named after him. Sweden had only gained independence from Denmark in 1523. Gustav I Vasa was appointed head of the Swedish state church in place of the Pope at the Diet of Västerås in 1527. This led to tensions with Rome, which culminated in the appointment of Laurentius Petri - the brother of Stockholm's reformer Olaus Petri - as the first Protestant Archbishop of Upsala and led to a break with Rome. The Reformation then spread rapidly in Sweden, and from 1531 onwards, sermons were preached in Swedish in the churches. It was in this context that the king commissioned Olaus and Laurentius Petri and Laurentius Andreae to translate the entire Bible into Swedish. The New Testament was translated and published first in 1526, followed in 1541 by this complete Bible, which closely followed Luther's translation of the Bible. The main part of the translation work was done by Laurentius Andreae (around 1470 - 1552), who had proclaimed Gustav Wasa King of Sweden at the Diet of Strängnäs in 1523, whose secretary he subsequently became, but with whom he soon fell out. This translation was of the utmost importance for the standardization of the Swedish language. Only with this translation was it possible to establish a binding orthography in Sweden. The Gustav Wasa Bible is the most comprehensive book printed in Sweden in the 16th century. The printer was Jürgen Richolff (1494-1573) from Lübeck, who had already printed the New Testament in 1526. Richolff returned to Sweden solely for this huge print job; the printing process took place over the two years 1540-1541. The Bible is considered a typographical masterpiece. The Bible's pictorial decoration was created by Georg Lemberger after designs by Lucas Cranach the Elder. Not a good copy. 44 leaves missing completely, especially at the beginning and end. Some of the present leaves partially cut out. Numerous leaves with old glued tears, partly also underlaid, also affecting some woodcuts. Heavily fingerstained and soiled throughout. Somewhat trimmed at the sides, with some loss to the printed marginalia. Handwritten marginalia by various hands and from various periods. - Obviously of great rarity. The Swedish Union Catalogue lists only 14 copies in Swedish public libraries. - ╔The first Swedish complete Bible.╗