Athanasius Kircher

Athanasius Kircher (sometimes spelt Kirchner) (May 2 1601?–27 November 1680) was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology and medicine. He made an early study of Egyptian hieroglyphs. He was ahead of his time in proposing that the plague was caused by an infectious microorganism and in suggesting effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease. A scientific star in his day, towards the end of his life he was eclipsed by the rationalism of René Descartes and others. In the late 20th century, however, the aesthetic qualities of his work have again begun to be appreciated. One scholar, Edward Schmidt, has called him "the last Renaissance man".

Life

Kircher was born on May 2 1601 or 1602 in Geisa, Buchonia, near Fulda. From his birthplace he took the epithets Bucho, Buchonius and Fuldensis which he sometimes added to his name. He attended the Jesuit College in Fulda from 1614 to 1618, when he joined the order himself as a seminarian.

Related Topics:
May 2 - 1601 - 1602 - Geisa - Buchonia - Fulda - 1614 - 1618 - Seminarian

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The youngest of nine children, Kircher was a precocious youngster who was taught Hebrew by a rabbi in addition to his studies at school. He studied philosophy and theology at Paderborn, but fled to Cologne in 1622 to escape advancing Protestant forces. On the journey, he narrowly escaped death after falling through the ice crossing the frozen Rhine— one of several occasions on which his life was endangered. Later, travelling to Heiligenstadt, he was caught and nearly hanged by a party of Protestant soldiers. At Heiligenstadt he taught mathematics, Hebrew and Syrian, and produced a show of fireworks and moving scenery for the visiting Elector Archbishop of Mainz, showing early evidence of his interest in mechanical devices. He joined the priesthood in 1628 and became professor of ethics and mathematics at the University of Würzburg, where he also taught Hebrew and Syrian. From 1628 he also began to show an interest in Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Related Topics:
Hebrew - Rabbi - Philosophy - Theology - Paderborn - Cologne - 1622 - Protestant - Rhine - Heiligenstadt - Hanged - Mathematics - Syrian - Firework - Elector - Archbishop of Mainz - Mechanical device - Priesthood - 1628 - Ethics - University of Würzburg

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Kircher published his first book (the Ars Magnesia, reporting his research on magnetism) in 1631, but the same year he was driven by the continuing Thirty Years War to the papal University of Avignon in France. In 1633 he was called to Vienna by the emperor to succeed Kepler as Mathematician to the Habsburg court. On the intervention of Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc the order was rescinded and he was sent instead to Rome to continue with his scholarly work, but he had already set off for Vienna. On the way, his ship was blown off-course and he arrived in Rome before he knew of the changed decision. He based himself in the city for the rest of his life, and from 1638 taught mathematics, physics and oriental languages at the Collegio Romano for several years before being released to devote himself to research. He studied first malaria and then the plague, and amassed a collection of antiquities which he exhibited along with devices of his own creation in the Museum Kircherianum.

Related Topics:
Magnetism - 1631 - Thirty Years War - University of Avignon - France - 1633 - Vienna - Emperor - Kepler - Habsburg - Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc - Rome - 1638 - Physics - Oriental language - Collegio Romano - Malaria - Plague - Antiquities - Museum Kircherianum

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In 1661 Kircher discovered the ruins of a church said to have been constructed by Constantine on the site of St Eustace's vision of Christ in a stag's horns. He raised money to pay for the church?s reconstruction as the Santuario della Mentorella, and his heart was buried in the church on his death.

Related Topics:
1661 - Church - Constantine - Eustace - Christ

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