Hartmann Schedel (Nuremberg, February 13, 1440 – Nuremberg, November 28, 1514) was a German physician, historian, cartographer, and humanist. He is considered one of the earliest cartographers to systematically utilize the printing press to disseminate knowledge widely. His mentor was Matheolus Perusinus, with whom Schedel developed a solid humanistic and scientific foundation.

Schedel achieved lasting fame with the Nuremberg Chronicle, also known as the Schedel's World Chronicle. This monumental work appeared as an incunabulum in Nuremberg on July 12, 1493, and combined world history with an unprecedented wealth of maps and cityscapes. For the first time, entire cities and countries were depicted on a large scale and recognizably—a breakthrough in a time when geographical knowledge was fragmentary.

The impact of Schedel's work was amplified by the printing press, invented in 1447 by Johannes Gutenberg. Printing techniques allowed maps and illustrations to be distributed in larger editions, while books before that time were rare and valuable due to their handwritten nature.

Besides his publications, Schedel was a prominent collector of books, art, and wood engravings. His passion for collecting contributed to the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. For example, an edition of his collected works in 1504 revealed important information about Jacopo de' Barbari, who had until then been largely forgotten.

Hartmann Schedel thus embodies the transition from medieval knowledge transmission to Renaissance print culture: a key figure at the intersection of science, art, and humanism.