Ulrich Rülein von Calw
Encyclopedia
Ulrich Rülein von Calw was a doctor
, mathematician
and well-known mining engineer. He was also active as a surveyor
, town planner and astrologer
and was the mayor (Bürgermeister) of the mining town of Freiberg
for 5 years.
. From 1485 he studied at the University of Leipzig
. In 1490 he became a bachelor
(baccalaureus) and master of arts
(magister artium) and then went on to study medicine
and mathematics
. He was tasked by the Saxon prince-elector
, George to build a "New Town on the Schreckenberg" (Neustadt am Schreckenberg), the present-day town of Annaberg
. In 1497 Rülein von Calw was appointed by the town of Freiberg as town physician (Stadtphysikus). Here he acted as a survey and construction engineer, mining expert and astrologer. In 1505 his book Eyn wohlgeordnet und nützlich büchlein, wie man bergwerk suchen und finden soll ("A well-ordered and useful little book about how to seek and find mines") appeared in Augsburg
, the first scientific treatment of mining
in Germany
. As a doctor he fought the Plague
in 1497.
In 1508 he became a citizen of Freiberg, an alderman
(Ratsherr) and from 1514 to 1519 the officiating Bürgermeister. Ulrich Rülein von Calw entered the Freiberg miner's guild in 1519, but left Freiberg in 1519 due to hostilities against his school in 1519 and went to Leipzig
, where he worked as Professor of Medicine. His last job, the town planning of Marienberg
was given to him in 1521 by Henry the Pious. He died in 1523 in Leipzig
.
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 well-known mining engineer. He was also active as a surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
, town planner and astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
and was the mayor (Bürgermeister) of the mining town of Freiberg
Freiberg
-Places:* Freiberg, Saxony, Germany** Freiberg , Saxony, Germany** Freiberg subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp* Freiberg am Neckar, Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
for 5 years.
Life
Rülein von Calw was born in 1465 in CalwCalw
Calw is a municipality in the middle of Baden-Württemberg in the south of Germany, capital of the district Calw. It is located in the northern Black Forest.-History:...
. From 1485 he studied at the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
. In 1490 he became a bachelor
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(baccalaureus) and master of arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(magister artium) and then went on to study medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. He was tasked by the Saxon prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
, George to build a "New Town on the Schreckenberg" (Neustadt am Schreckenberg), the present-day town of Annaberg
Annaberg-Buchholz
Annaberg-Buchholz is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, in the Erzgebirge, capital of the district Erzgebirgskreis.The town is located in the Ore Mountains, at the side of the Pöhlberg . It has three Protestant churches, among them that of St...
. In 1497 Rülein von Calw was appointed by the town of Freiberg as town physician (Stadtphysikus). Here he acted as a survey and construction engineer, mining expert and astrologer. In 1505 his book Eyn wohlgeordnet und nützlich büchlein, wie man bergwerk suchen und finden soll ("A well-ordered and useful little book about how to seek and find mines") appeared in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, the first scientific treatment of mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. As a doctor he fought the Plague
The Plague
The Plague is a novel by Albert Camus, published in 1947, that tells the story of medical workers finding solidarity in their labour as the Algerian city of Oran is swept by a plague. It asks a number of questions relating to the nature of destiny and the human condition...
in 1497.
In 1508 he became a citizen of Freiberg, an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
(Ratsherr) and from 1514 to 1519 the officiating Bürgermeister. Ulrich Rülein von Calw entered the Freiberg miner's guild in 1519, but left Freiberg in 1519 due to hostilities against his school in 1519 and went to Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, where he worked as Professor of Medicine. His last job, the town planning of Marienberg
Marienberg
Marienberg can refer to:*Marienberg, Saxony, the capital of the Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis district of the German state of Saxony*Bad Marienberg, a town in the Westerwaldkreis of Rhineland-Palatinate...
was given to him in 1521 by Henry the Pious. He died in 1523 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
.
Works
- Eyn wohlgeordnet und nützlich büchlein, wie man bergwerk suchen und finden soll, Augsburg, 1505
- Ein nützlich Bergbüchlin, Erfurt, 1527
Sources
- Wilhelm Pieper: Ulrich Rülein von Calw und sein Bergbüchlein: mit Urtext-Faksimile und Übertragung des Bergbüchleins von etwa 1500 und Faksimile der Pestschrift von 1521. - Berlin : Akademie-Verlag, 1955. - 215 S. - (Freiberger Forschungshefte; D 7)
External links
- Eyn wohlgeordnet und nützlich büchlein, wie man bergwerk suchen und finden soll as a digital file
- "Ein nützlich Bergbüchlin" as a digital file