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".

References

• Athanasius Kircher, Dude of Wonders Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Athanasius Kircher Image Gallery Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Athanasius Kircher's Magnetic Clock Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (German language) Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Catholic Encyclopedia Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Eco, Umberto. Serendipities: Language and Lunacy. Columbia University Press (1998). ISBN 0231111347.
• Glasgow University Library: Musurgia Universalis Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Infoplease: Athanasius Kircher Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Medicine Worldwide (German language) Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Schmidt, Edward W. The Last Renaissance Man: Athanasius Kircher, SJ. Company: The World of Jesuits and Their Friends. 19(2), Winter 2001-2002.
• The Correspondence of Athanasius Kircher Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• The First Use of the Microscope in Medicine Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• The Galileo Project Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• The Historical Background of Cytology Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• The Illustrated Book Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Owners of the Voynich Manuscript Retrieved Feb. 3, 2005.
• The World is Bound With Secret Knots Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.
• Voynich MS - Biographies Retrieved Oct. 16, 2004.