Melchior Goldast
Melchior Goldast of Haiminsfeld ( born January 6, 1578 to the family aspens, today part of Bischofszell; † August 11, 1635 in Gießen ) was a Swiss humanist, lawyer, diplomat and bibliomaniac.
Life
The father of Goldast was a noble landowner. Goldast visited 1590-1593 high school in Memmingen. He studied from 1593 law at the Jesuit University of Ingolstadt and from 1595 at the University of Altdorf. Here he obtained a master's degree in 1597. 1598, he was a private tutor in Switzerland, among others, in St. Gallen and Geneva. In 1599 he lived in St. Gallen and conducted research in the Abbey Library. He then earned his doctorate at the University of Heidelberg to the doctor of both laws.
Melchior Goldast was tutor to the Baron of Hohensax and lived from 1606 to 1614 in Frankfurt am Main. Here he wrote historical and legal opinions, particularly on constitutional issues. About 1606 he met the historian Michael Caspar Lundorp, with whom he was working on an edition of Petronius together. In 1612 he married. In 1614 he was briefly advisor at the court of Saxe- Weimar. In 1615 he became court councilor and legal advisers at the court in Biickeburg. From 1624, he lived again in Frankfurt / Main. He then worked for the Landgrave of Hesse. 1630 he moved to Giessen.
His library
Goldast had a very strong passion for books and manuscripts. In his library, many writings were from the library in St. Gallen, he had also stolen, among other things there. The Büchernarr tried to secure his library in 1624 in Bremen. It was incorporated in the Monastery of Saint Catherine of Bremen. After Goldast death of the Council of the City of Bremen negotiated with the heirs of the whereabouts and the purchase of books for Bremen. 1646, negotiations were completed and Bremen had the foundation for his 1660 opened a public city library, the Bibliotheca Bremensis, today consisting of valuable manuscripts, documents and incunabula from the early days of printing. One of the most important books is the resulting Evangelistar (texts from the Gospels ) of Emperor Henry III. from the monastery of Echternach, which today is located in the State and University Library Bremen. Some valuable books, among other ancient authors, requested and received in 1650 - through their counsel Isaac Vossius ( 1618-1689 ) - Queen Christina of Sweden. A small part of the estate, including 41 parchment documents, as well as 98 letters humanists, returned in 1948 to St. Gallen back.
Works (selection)
- Suevicarum rerum, Scriptores aliquot veteres. Frankfurt / M. 1605
- Alamannicarum Rerum Scriptores aliquot vetusti. Frankfurt / M. 1605
- Catholicon rei monetariae. Frankfurt / M. 1620