Caspar Peucer

Caspar Peucer (also Kaspar Peucer, Peucker; * January 6, 1525 in Bautzen, † September 25, 1602 in Dessau ) was a church reformer, mathematician, astronomer, physician, diplomat and writer, an important representative of the late German humanism.

Life and work

Born the son of a wealthy Sorbian craftsman Gregor Peucer (* March 12, 1497, † February 25, 1560 ) and his wife Ottilie (nee Simon; † May 5, 1540 ), he attended the Council Bautzener school, where he already has a high intellectual ability auswies. Therefore, we suggested to his father to help him further so that he could attend college. Therefore, his father sent him to school in Goldberg, where he enjoyed an excellent education at Valentin Friedland. On whose recommendation, he went in 1540 to Wittenberg, where he was taken in the house of Philip Melanchthon. He graduated from Wittenberg in the first preparatory school for the University and enrolled under the rectorship of Caspar Cruciger the Elder on March 26, 1543 at the University of Wittenberg.

Peucer first completed a study of the natural sciences. His teachers were Erasmus Reinhold, Jacob Milich and Georg Joachim Rheticus. Since the studies at that time were also all not too extensive, he also attended lectures on the ancient classical literature, the history, philosophy and theology. So he quickly expanded his education so that he could Peucer obtain the degree of Master of the seven liberal arts on September 1, 1545. He then pursued mainly medical studies. As a result of the Smalcald War, he was studying medicine in 1547 only in Frankfurt (Oder) to continue. But in the following year he returned to the Wittenberg Academy and found refuge in the Senate of the faculty of philosophy. After he married Magdalena ( born July 19, 1531 Wittenberg † September 12, 1576 in Wittenberg ), the daughter of his uncle Melanchthon on June 2, 1550 he received the University of Leipzig in 1552 for medical studies and earned under Milich on 27 June 1752 in Wittenberg licentiate of medicine.

He became in 1554 Professor of " Higher Mathematics". He wrote works on geodesy ( De dimensione terrae, 1550 ) and Foundations of Astronomy ( Elementa doctrinae de circulis coelestibus, 1551 ). On January 30, 1560, he earned his Doctor of Medicine, was professor of medicine and in the summer semester 1560 Rector of the University of Wittenberg. After the death of Melanchthon he strove to preserve its heritage. He published several letters and speeches Melanchthon continued its historical lectures on the " Chronicon Carionis " and Melanchthon mediated Philippism in the " Corpus Doctrinae Philippicum ".

Peucer entertained from 1563 regular contact with the Saxon court and was charged in 1566 by Emperor Maximilian II in the hereditary nobility. From 1570 he was physician to the Elector Augustus of Saxony. Furthermore him in 1571 the godfather Office at the Prince Adolf was transferred.

1571 Caspar Peucer was much involved in the publication of the new Catechism of the Wittenberg theological faculty. As a political leader of the church Philippists Peucer was heavily attacked by the Lutheran orthodoxy and called Kryptocalvinist. In connection with the 1572 taking place in France " Saint Bartholomew ", Saxony abruptly changed his denominational politics and now followed the radical course of Gnesio-Lutherans. Followers of Calvinism were enemies of the state. Even the moderate forces of Philip slopes were drawn into this whirlpool with. Peucer, who asked not to deviate from its fundamental religious conception, was taken into custody in 1574. First, he was imprisoned with his family in Rochlitz Castle.

From 1576 to 1586 he was imprisoned in solitary confinement on the Pleissenburg in Leipzig. During his imprisonment Peucer made ​​chronological notes on his imprisonment, which were printed after his death as Historia Carcerum and represent a rare early temporal document through the prison system from the perspective of those affected today. He has also written a second book in captivity, the Idyllium Patria, in which he set a literary monument to his home in Upper Lusatia Latin couplets. After his by the young Saxon Electress Agnes Hedwig of Anhalt induced release he lived as a private physician and the Council on farm Anhalt in Dessau, where he died on 25 September 1602.

Works (selection)

For a complete overview, see the list published in the German -speaking countries in the 16th century (VD 16).

  • Elementa Doctrinae De Circvlis Coelestibvs, Et Primo motv ( Digitized version)
  • Tractatus de historicus Ph.Melanchthonis sententia de controversia coenae Domini, 1553 ( print 1596)
  • Commentarius de praecipuis divinationum generibus 1553
  • Corpus Doctrinae Philippicum, 1560
  • Opera Melan, 1562-1565
  • Epistolae, 1565
  • Idyllion de Lusatia, 1583 ( printed 1594 )
Renaissance humanism in Northern Europe Schmalkaldic War Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Neue Deutsche Biographie Integrated Authority File
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