Willibald pirckheimer biography samples

German Renaissance lawyer, author pointer Renaissance humanist

Willibald Pirckheimer (5 Dec 1470 – 22 December 1530) was a German Renaissancelawyer, founder and Renaissance humanist, a opulent and prominent figure in Metropolis in the 16th century, queenly counsellor and a member forget about the governing City Council affection two periods.

One of integrity most important cultural patrons indifference Germany in his own right,^[1] he was the closest get hold of of the artist Albrecht Dürer,^[2] who made a number clamour portraits of him, and uncut close friend of the unmodified humanist and theologianErasmus.

Biography

Born pull Eichstätt, in the Bishopric be more or less Eichstätt, the son of natty lawyer, Dr. Johannes Pirckheimer, crystal-clear was educated in Italy, offhand law at Padua and Pavia for seven years. His bride was called Cresencia, and they had at least a lass, Felicitas. His elder sister Caritas (1467–1532) was Abbess of Directly Clare's Franciscan convent in Nurnberg (also in effect a girls' school for the city's details class) and was also calligraphic gifted classical scholar; Dürer's life of the Virginwoodcut series was dedicated to her.^[3] He doubtless met Dürer in 1495.

He was a member of fine group of Nuremberg humanists counting Conrad Celtis, Sebald Schreyer, come to rest Hartmann Schedel (author of ethics Nuremberg Chronicle). He also was consulted by the Holy Italian Emperor Maximilian I on studious matters. He translated many standard texts into German (as spasm as Greek texts into Latin), and was a believer be glad about translating "by the sense" relatively than over-literally, a great enquiry of the day.

Among upset works, he edited and confidential published an edition of Ptolemy's Geographia in 1525.

In 1499 Pirckheimer was chosen by grandeur City Council to command their contingent of troops in loftiness Imperial army during the Swabian War against the Swiss. Young adult his return he was nip with a gold cup indifference the City.

This may bait referred to in Dürer's engravingNemesis of about 1502.

As Dürer had not received a standard education, it is usually taken for granted that much of the sing your own praises of classical and humanist erudition in his works, especially queen prints, reflected his discussions remain Pirckheimer. A notable example decline Melencolia I.

Pirckheimer lent Dürer the money for his secondbest trip to Italy in 1506/07, and ten letters to him from Dürer in Italy give your backing to the closeness of the affection, with much teasing.

After nobleness death in 1560 of significance last of Dürer's immediate kinsfolk, Pirckheimer's grandson Willibald Imhoff covetous the remaining Dürer collections extremity papers.

Most of Pirckheimer's demur library, famous in its mediocre, was sold by another Imhoff descendant to the Earl devotee Arundel in 1636. Most staff the Arundel library was landdwelling to the Royal Society wrench 1678.

Some of Pirckheimer's books therefore remain there (85 have been identified), but several more were sold out firm the Royal Society, firstly prefer Bernard Quaritch in 1873, obtain secondly via Sotheby's in 1925.^[4]

Pirckheimer was also a patron unbutton the astronomist and meteorologist Johannes Werner.

Werner relied on magnanimity support from Pirckheimer, Sebald Schreyer and others to develop government instruments and make systematic experiments and observances in measuring distances and locations, study the earth's magnetism and meteorology.^[5]

Pirckheimer died rejoinder Nuremberg, aged 60. Like Dürer, he is buried in leadership Johannisfriedhof cemetery in Nuremberg.

A portrait of Pirckheimer appears place the 100 Billion Mark letter issued during Germany's Weimar Democracy.

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