BASEL 1566

The text of the broadsheet can be translated as giving the following description of the event:

It happened in 1566 three times, on 27 and 28 of July, and on August 7, against the sunrise and sunset; we saw strange shapes in the sky above Basel.

Translated pamphlet:

During the year 1566, on the 27th of July, after the sun had shone warm on the clear, bright skies, and then around 9 pm, it suddenly took a different shape and color. First, the sun lost all its radiance and luster, and it was no bigger than the full moon, and finally it seemed to weep tears of blood and the air behind him went dark. And he was seen by all the people of the city and countryside. In much the same way also the moon, which has already been almost full and has shone through the night, assuming an almost blood-red color in the sky. The next day, Sunday, the sun rose at about six o’clock and slept with the same appearance it had when it was lying before. He lit the houses, streets and around as if everything was blood-red and fiery. At the dawn of August 7, we saw large black spheres coming and going with great speed and precision before the sun and chattered as if they led a fight. Many of them were fiery red and, soon crumbled and then extinguished.

The Basel UFO incident of 1566 is one of the earliest documented reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in history. Although the incident remains a subject of historical and ufological interest, there is limited detailed information available about it. Nonetheless, here is what is known about the Basel UFO incident: The event took place in July 1566 in the city of Basel, which is located in modern-day Switzerland. Basel was a significant cultural and economic center in Europe at the time.

Eyewitness Accounts

Various accounts of the incident exist in historical records. Eyewitnesses in Basel reported seeing black spheres or disc-like objects flying erratically in the daytime sky. The descriptions of the objects included their disc-like shape and their dark color. According to the reports, there were multiple objects, and they appeared to be engaged in a strange aerial battle or formation.

Woodcut Illustrations

The most significant documentation of the Basel UFO incident comes from a pamphlet printed by Samuel Coccius, a local printer in Basel. The pamphlet contains woodcut illustrations depicting the observed phenomena in the sky. These illustrations are among the earliest known depictions of UFOs. Some of the woodcuts show the disc-like objects engaged in what appears to be a battle, with spheres and crescent shapes in the sky. Witnesses described the scene as strange and frightening. The pamphlet printed by Samuel Coccius is a crucial piece of historical evidence regarding the Basel UFO incident of 1566. Samuel Coccius was a local printer in Basel, Switzerland, during the 16th century. He published a pamphlet that contained woodcut illustrations and descriptions of the mysterious aerial events witnessed in Basel in July 1566. This pamphlet is one of the primary sources of information about the incident.The most notable aspect of the pamphlet is the woodcut illustrations it contains. These images depict the observed phenomena in the sky above Basel. The woodcuts portray the disc-like or spherical objects that witnesses claimed to have seen. Some of the illustrations show the objects arranged in a formation or what appears to be an aerial battle.The woodcut illustrations are essential because they provide a visual representation of what witnesses reported. They offer a sense of how people in Basel interpreted the unusual phenomena in the 16th century. These images have historical significance as some of the earliest visual depictions of UFO-like objects in European history.The pamphlet by Samuel Coccius served as a historical record of the incident, preserving the accounts of the witnesses and their descriptions of the flying objects. While the pamphlet’s primary purpose was to inform and document, it has since become a valuable source for researchers and historians interested in the history of UFO sightings and aerial phenomena.The pamphlet’s woodcut illustrations have been the subject of various interpretations and speculations over the years. Researchers and UFO enthusiasts have analyzed the images to understand what they might represent, and they often consider the broader historical and cultural context of the 16th century.The publication of the pamphlet likely had a significant impact on how the Basel UFO incident was remembered and perceived over time. It contributed to the folklore surrounding the event and helped ensure that the incident remained a part of local and historical consciousness.As is the case with many historical events from the distant past, contemporary documents that provide first-hand accounts are scarce. The pamphlet by Samuel Coccius is one of the few known contemporary publications related to the incident, making it a valuable resource for understanding the event.In summary, Samuel Coccius's pamphlet, with its woodcut illustrations and descriptions of the Basel UFO incident, stands as a notable historical document that provides insight into how this peculiar event was perceived and recorded during the 16th century. It remains a valuable resource for those interested in the history of UFO sightings and historical aerial phenomena.

The Basel UFO incident remains an enigma. It has been subject to various interpretations and speculations over the years. Some suggest that the objects might have been natural phenomena, such as a meteor shower, while others consider it a mass hallucination or a religious omen.There are also theories proposing extraterrestrial origins or secret military experiments as possible explanations. The Basel UFO incident holds historical significance as one of the earliest recorded instances of UFO sightings in Europe. It’s right after the more famous Nuremberg UFO incident, which occurred in 1561. Both incidents feature descriptions of aerial phenomena in the 16th century. One challenge in studying the Basel UFO incident is the limited availability of contemporary documents.Most accounts and descriptions come from later writings and pamphlets, which may have been influenced by folklore and beliefs of the time. Some have questioned the authenticity and accuracy of these accounts. While the Basel UFO incident remains a historical curiosity, it illustrates the enduring fascination with unidentified flying objects throughout history. Due to the lack of comprehensive contemporary records, it remains a subject of debate and intrigue among historians and UFO enthusiasts. The incident has become a part of early UFO lore and continues to be discussed in the context of UFO history and the search for explanations of unexplained aerial phenomena.