Renaissance humanism in Northern Europe

German humanism is the name of an educational movement of the Renaissance, which spread in Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries. Initially, the ideas of the Italian Renaissance humanism was taken, later it came on German soil into an independent development, which was partly characterized by a strong cultural nationalism.

Peter Luder

Peter Luder was the first German to Italian humanism in Germany used as " hiking humanist ". After he was for many years wandered about in Italy and had developed links there, also a pupil of Guarino there had been Verona, he got an invitation from Count Palatine Frederick I go to Heidelberg. The Count Palatine was probably hear bitch about the University of Padua. His work as a teacher in humanistic Latin focused on the universities of Heidelberg, Erfurt and Leipzig. Luders start in Heidelberg was spectacular. He presented himself at the University public with a keynote speech on the recommendation of the studia humanitatis. It was the first such speech at a German university. It is considered the trigger of humanism in Germany. So is it the year 1456, in the bitch gave his speech, as the date of German humanism. This plea for the studia humanitatis was future Luders parade speech with which he made ​​his debut at each of the universities where he taught in Heidelberg after his time. According to contemporary sources, his reputation was at that time but not very high. The reasons were probably be more liberal way of life and his sometimes inadequate expertise. At the University of Heidelberg dominated scholastic attitude among the teaching staff. Nevertheless, some of the professors was at least open to the new humanistic ideas. In Erfurt and Leipzig bitch had less success. A proven by a colleague in Leipzig errors in his translations is said to have brought about the end of his career there. Not his humanistic attitude, but rather personal reasons called forth resistance against its occurrence. Far more important than Luder was his pupil Hartmann Schedel, who published the Nuremberg Chronicle.

Bible humanism

For humanistic pursuit of direct access to the ancient classics in the original language (ad fontes ), the philological, text-critical study of the Bible and ancient Jewish and Christian literature belonged. Several German theologians were to Hebraists. Some representatives of the biblical humanism as Johannes Reuchlin, Johann Sebastian Münster and Böschenstein wrote treatises on Hebrew accents and spelling. Johannes Reuchlin, who in Constantinople Opel learned the Greek and Hebrew language among others, Manuel Chrysoloras, was instrumental in the spread of Hebrew knowledge among the German theologians. In the dispute over the " Letters of Obscure Men " actually German humanists apart with their conservative scholastic opponents.

Reuchlin's most important pupil was Philipp Melanchthon. Melanchthon and other Protestant humanists such as Johannes Bugenhagen, the confessor Luther in Wittenberg, took advantage of the humanism for the purposes of the Reformation. Another goal pursued towards the influential also in Germany Dutch humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam. He tried to counter the increasing religious polarization by humanistic ideals.

Well-known German humanists

Among the well-known German humanists include Rudolf Agricola, Johannes Aventinus, Heinrich Bebel, Sebastian Brant, Hermann von dem Busche, Konrad Celtis, Peter Divaeus, Sebastian Franck, Jerome Gebwiler, Konrad Heresbach, Eobanus Hessus, Ulrich von Hutten, Albert Krantz, Sigismund Meisterlin, Sebastian Munster, Hermann von Neuenahr, John Nauclerus, Konrad Peutinger, Willibald Pirckheimer, Jodocus Gallus, Johann Reuchlin, Rhenanus, John Rivius, Mutianus Rufus, Georg Sabinus, Hartmann Schedel, Johann Sleidan, Jacob, and Jacob Wimpheling mirror.

Source collections

  • Wilhelm Kuhlmann et al ( eds ): The German humanists. Documents on the tradition of ancient and medieval literature in the early modern period. Brepols, Turnhout 2005 ff Division 1: The Electoral Palatinate Band I / 1: Marquard Freher, 2005, ISBN 2-503-52017-0
  • Volume I / 2: Janus Gruter, 2005, ISBN 2-503-52017-0
  • Volume 2: David Pareus, Johann Philipp Pareus and Daniel Pareus, 2010, ISBN 978-2-503-53238-7
  • Volume 3: Jacob Micyllus, John Posthius, John Abraham and Opsopoeus Scultetus, 2011, ISBN 978-2-503-53330-8.
Guarino da Verona Rodolphus Agricola Helius Eobanus Hessus Johannes Nauclerus Beatus Rhenanus Paul Gerhard Schmidt
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