Hieronymus Schreiber
Encyclopedia
Hieronymus Schreiber was German
doctor
, mathematician
and astronomer
from Nuremberg
.
Schreiber has studied at the University of Wittenberg at Philipp Melanchthon
. There, he was considered a candidate for the succession to Georg Joachim Rheticus
, but with Erasmus Flock (1514–1568), another scholar from Nuremberg was appointed Professor.
In 1542 Schreiber travelled to Italy, then went to study in Paris
, where he died in 1547. Few of his works are preserved. In an almanac by Johann Stöffler (1452–1543) and Jacob Pflaum, he had noted weather observations made in Saxony
.
Another book annotated by Schreiber, a copy of the original 1543 edition of De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium
by Nicolaus Copernicus
, helped to solve a riddle: that of the book's preface, which contradicted its contents. Rheticus had begun to publish it in Nuremberg
, but the process was completed by Andreas Osiander
. The printer Johannes Petreius
had sent a copy to Schreiber, and after he died, it came via Michael Mästlin
(1550–1631) into the possession of Johannes Kepler
(1571–1630). In Schreiber's book, Kepler found a note attributing the authorship of the anonymous preface to Osiander. Osiander had adjusted the preface written by the Catholic Church canon Copernicus enough to be acceptable at Protestant Nuremberg, as well as having kept it off the Papal forbidden list (until 1620).
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
from Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
.
Schreiber has studied at the University of Wittenberg at Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...
. There, he was considered a candidate for the succession to Georg Joachim Rheticus
Georg Joachim Rheticus
Georg Joachim von Lauchen, also known as Rheticus , was a mathematician, cartographer, navigational-instrument maker, medical practitioner, and teacher. He is perhaps best known for his trigonometric tables and as Nicolaus Copernicus's sole pupil...
, but with Erasmus Flock (1514–1568), another scholar from Nuremberg was appointed Professor.
In 1542 Schreiber travelled to Italy, then went to study in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he died in 1547. Few of his works are preserved. In an almanac by Johann Stöffler (1452–1543) and Jacob Pflaum, he had noted weather observations made in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
.
Another book annotated by Schreiber, a copy of the original 1543 edition of De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium
De revolutionibus orbium coelestium
De revolutionibus orbium coelestium is the seminal work on the heliocentric theory of the Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus...
by Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....
, helped to solve a riddle: that of the book's preface, which contradicted its contents. Rheticus had begun to publish it in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, but the process was completed by Andreas Osiander
Andreas Osiander
Andreas Osiander was a German Lutheran theologian.- Career :Born at Gunzenhausen in Franconia, Osiander studied at the University of Ingolstadt before being ordained as a priest in 1520. In the same year he began work at an Augustinian convent in Nuremberg as a Hebrew tutor. In 1522, he was...
. The printer Johannes Petreius
Johannes Petreius
Johann Petreius was a German printer in Nuremberg.-Life:...
had sent a copy to Schreiber, and after he died, it came via Michael Mästlin
Michael Maestlin
Michael Maestlin was a German astronomer and mathematician, known for being the mentor of Johannes Kepler.-Career:...
(1550–1631) into the possession 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...
(1571–1630). In Schreiber's book, Kepler found a note attributing the authorship of the anonymous preface to Osiander. Osiander had adjusted the preface written by the Catholic Church canon Copernicus enough to be acceptable at Protestant Nuremberg, as well as having kept it off the Papal forbidden list (until 1620).
Literature
- Kurt Pilz: 600 Jahre Astronomie in Nürnberg. Nürnberg: Hans Carl 1977, S. 216
- Georg Andreas Will: Nürnbergisches Gelehrtenlexikon Bd. 3. Nürnberg: Lorenz Schüpfel 1757, S. 576