Unknown and still unidentified printmaker. Possibly related to a Ratz family originating from Grebenau in Hessen where the uncommon first name Valerius is not uncommon since the 17th century.  

A Valentine Ratz (Grebenau 1798-1870) emigrated from Hessen Germany to Wilmot township, Waterloo region, Ontario in Canada with his wife Anna Gertrude Lanz (Schweinberg 1798-1872) and first born son in 1828. Here he is mentioned a farmer and blacksmith. In 1839 the family moved to St. Jacobs where Valentine erected a sawmill. They had 4 sons and a daughter who lead the Canadian Ratz dynasty. A grandson the Hon. Valentine (Val.) Henry Ratz (1848-1928) was a lumber merchant and Canadian Member of Parliament. 

    In 2019 a print surfaced showing “Das Stöckl”, the the name of the local market square in the provincial border city of Eger-Cheb near Karlsbad in the Czech republic (Bohemia) some 40km east of Bayreuth.

    2023 a print surfaced showing the ruins of castle Aggastein in Wachau (Austria).        

Walter Klemm (born in nearby Karlsbad) in 1906 created a woodblock print of Cheb’s market square. Carl Thiemann (also from Karlsbad) is also mentioned to have created a woodblock print in 1913 (not found example). 

Ferdinand Michl (Prag 1877-1951) also visited Cheb and “Das Stöckl” and created an etching (above). He also lived in Paris for 5 years and like Emil Orlik travelled to the Far East and Japan.