Herwart von Hohenburg
Encyclopedia
Hans Georg Herwart von Hohenburg (1553–1622) was a Bavaria
n statesman
and scholar, and a patron
and correspondent of Johannes Kepler
.
Herwart served as chancellor
to the Duke of Bavaria, and was regarded by the Bavarian aristocracy as an effective intermediary during the turbulent transition from the reign of Duke Wilhelm V
to that of his successor, Maximilian I
.
Herwart's fields as a scholar were astronomy, chronology
, mathematics and philology
. His work in chronology was admired by Michael Mästlin, among others, and his work in mathematics contributed to the early formulation of logarithm
s by Joost Bürgi
and John Napier
. He was also associated with Tycho Brahe
, Johannes Praetorius
, and Helisaeus Roeslin
.
Herwart often lent Kepler books that might otherwise have been unavailable to him, and used his influence to help Kepler retain academic appointments despite his Protestantism
, as Herwart himself was "an ardent Catholic and a friend of the Jesuits." His extant correspondence with Kepler covers a period from 1597 to 1611 and includes more than 90 letters. The correspondence was discovered by C. Anschütz at Munich
, and was first published in 1886. A sample exchange, on an astronomical passage from the Nero
nian poet
Lucan
, is available online in English translation.
In 1610, Herwart published a multiplication table in a folio volume of more than a thousand pages.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and scholar, and a patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
and correspondent of Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler was a German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer. A key figure in the 17th century scientific revolution, he is best known for his eponymous laws of planetary motion, codified by later astronomers, based on his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican...
.
Herwart served as chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
to the Duke of Bavaria, and was regarded by the Bavarian aristocracy as an effective intermediary during the turbulent transition from the reign of Duke Wilhelm V
William V, Duke of Bavaria
William V, Duke of Bavaria , called the Pious, was Duke of Bavaria from 1579 to 1597.- Education and early life :...
to that of his successor, Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian I, Duke/Elector of Bavaria , called "the Great", was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. His reign was marked by the Thirty Years' War ....
.
Herwart's fields as a scholar were astronomy, chronology
Chronology
Chronology is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events".Chronology is part of periodization...
, mathematics and philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
. His work in chronology was admired by Michael Mästlin, among others, and his work in mathematics contributed to the early formulation of logarithm
Logarithm
The logarithm of a number is the exponent by which another fixed value, the base, has to be raised to produce that number. For example, the logarithm of 1000 to base 10 is 3, because 1000 is 10 to the power 3: More generally, if x = by, then y is the logarithm of x to base b, and is written...
s by Joost Bürgi
Joost Bürgi
Jost Bürgi, or Joost, or Jobst Bürgi , active primarily at the courts in Kassel and Prague, was a Swiss clockmaker, a maker of astronomical instruments and a mathematician....
and John Napier
John Napier
John Napier of Merchiston – also signed as Neper, Nepair – named Marvellous Merchiston, was a Scottish mathematician, physicist, astronomer & astrologer, and also the 8th Laird of Merchistoun. He was the son of Sir Archibald Napier of Merchiston. John Napier is most renowned as the discoverer...
. He was also associated with Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe , born Tyge Ottesen Brahe, was a Danish nobleman known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations...
, Johannes Praetorius
Johannes Praetorius
Johann Richter or Johannes Praetorius was a Bohemian German mathematician and astronomer.- Life :...
, and Helisaeus Roeslin
Helisaeus Roeslin
Helisaeus Roeslin was a German physician and astrologer who adopted a geoheliocentric model of the universe. He was one of five observers who concluded that the Great Comet of 1577 was located beyond the moon...
.
Herwart often lent Kepler books that might otherwise have been unavailable to him, and used his influence to help Kepler retain academic appointments despite his Protestantism
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, as Herwart himself was "an ardent Catholic and a friend of the Jesuits." His extant correspondence with Kepler covers a period from 1597 to 1611 and includes more than 90 letters. The correspondence was discovered by C. Anschütz at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, and was first published in 1886. A sample exchange, on an astronomical passage from the Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
nian poet
Latin poetry
The history of Latin poetry can be understood as the adaptation of Greek models. The verse comedies of Plautus are the earliest Latin literature that has survived, composed around 205-184 BC, yet the start of Latin literature is conventionally dated to the first performance of a play in verse by a...
Lucan
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus , better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman poet, born in Corduba , in the Hispania Baetica. Despite his short life, he is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial Latin period...
, is available online in English translation.
In 1610, Herwart published a multiplication table in a folio volume of more than a thousand pages.
Further reading
- Caspar, Max. Kepler. Translated and edited by C. Doris Hellman. New York: Dover, 1993. References to Herwart passim. Limited preview online.
External links
- Herwart's Catalogus Graecorum manuscriptorum codicum qui asservantur in inclyta serenissimi utriusque Bavariae Ducis ... Bibliotheca (1602), a catalogue of Greek manuscripts and codices in the library of the Duke of Bavaria, digital facsimile
- "Who the Heck is Herwart von Hohenburg?", on Hohenburg's 1610 Thesaurus Hieroglyphicorum, Seattle P.I. blog