page_title: Berthold Schwarz
hierarchical_section_title: Berthold Schwarz
context_page_description: Berthold Schwarz, also known as Berthold the Black and der Schwartzer, was a legendary German alchemist of the late 14th century, credited with the invention of gunpowder by 15th- through 19th-century European literature.
  The purported period of Schwarz' activity thus falls between the first reports of gunpowder in Europe and the development of effective applications in artillery.
  It is unclear whether Schwarz is a historical person. It has been suggested that he was a historical alchemist who had developed gunpowder in Germany, but other scholars consider him purely legendary.
context_section_description: Berthold Schwarz (sometimes spelled Schwartz), also known as Berthold the Black and der Schwartzer, was a legendary German (or in some accounts Danish or Greek) alchemist of the late 14th century, credited with the invention of gunpowder by 15th- through 19th-century European literature.
  The purported period of Schwarz' activity (late 14th century) thus falls between the first reports of gunpowder in Europe (late 13th century) and the development of effective applications in artillery (mid 15th century).
  It is unclear whether Schwarz is a historical person. It has been suggested that he was a historical alchemist who had developed gunpowder in Germany, but other scholars consider him purely legendary.(Partington, 1960)
caption: Portrait identifying Schwarz as the "inventor of artillery"
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