Georg von Peuerbach (also Purbach, Peurbach; la, Purbachius; born May 30, 1423 – April 8, 1461
) was an
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
,
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
,
mathematician
A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems.
Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change.
History
On ...
and
instrument maker, best known for his streamlined presentation of
Ptolemaic astronomy
In astronomy, the geocentric model (also known as geocentrism, often exemplified specifically by the Ptolemaic system) is a superseded description of the Universe with Earth at the center. Under most geocentric models, the Sun, Moon, stars, an ...
in the ''Theoricae Novae Planetarum.'' Peuerbach was instrumental in making astronomy, mathematics and literature simple and accessible for Europeans during the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
and beyond.
Biography
Peuerbach's life remains relatively unknown until he enrolled at the
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...
in 1446.
He was born in the Austrian town of
Peuerbach
Peuerbach is a town in Austria, in Grieskirchen (district) in the Austrian state of Upper Austria.
On the 6th November 2016 there was a vote on whether Peuerbach would be merged with the neighbouring municipalities of Bruck-Waasen and Steegen ...
in upper Austria. A horoscope published eighty-nine years after his death places his date of birth specifically on May 30, 1423, though other evidence only indicates that he was born sometime after 1421.
He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1448.
Georg's intellect was discovered by a priest of his hometown, Dr. Heinrich Barucher. Dr. Barucher recognized Peuerbach's academic abilities from a young age and put him in contact with the Augustinian provost of Klosterneuburg Monastery, Georg Muestinger.
Georg Muestinge taught a course at the University of Vienna entitled ''Theoricae Planetarum.'' These lectures was the first that George von Peuerbach attended at the University of Vienna and inspired him to enroll.
During his time at University of Vienna, Georg received a master of philosophy in 1446 and a second master's degree in 1448, studying mathematics under the guidelines of
Johann von Gmünden. His curriculum was composed primarily of humanities courses, as was usual at the time.
His knowledge of astronomy derived from independent study, possibly from studying under followers of John von Gmünden.
During his enrollment, there were no professors of astronomy at the University of Vienna.
However, under his tutelage astronomic studies emerged at the University of Vienna throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.
Peuerbach observed the
occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden from the observer by another object that passes between them. The term is often used in astronomy, but can also refer to any situation in which an object in the foreground blocks ...
of
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...
by the Moon in 1451, signifying the beginning of his personal astronomy career. After this point Peuerbach essentially devoted his life to astronomy, he developed tools and theories, and collaborated with his pupil
Regiomontanus
Johannes Müller von Königsberg (6 June 1436 – 6 July 1476), better known as Regiomontanus (), was a mathematician, astrologer and astronomer of the German Renaissance, active in Vienna, Buda and Nuremberg. His contributions were instrumental ...
(Johannes Müller von Königsberg) to make astrology more digestible to common people. Majority of Georg's astrological discoveries were made in the last ten years of his life.
Georg Peuerbach traveled through central and southern Europe, most notably in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, giving lectures on astronomy. His lectures led to offers of professorships at several universities, including those at
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
and
Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
. During this time he also met Italian astronomer
Giovanni Bianchini
Giovanni Bianchini (in Latin, Johannes Blanchinus) (1410 – c. 1469) was a professor of mathematics and astronomy at the University of Ferrara and court astrologer of Leonello d'Este. He was an associate of Georg Purbach and Regiomontanus. ...
of
Ferrara
Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...
, perhaps the leading astronomer at the time, and the Cardinal
Nicholas of Cusa
Nicholas of Cusa (1401 – 11 August 1464), also referred to as Nicholas of Kues and Nicolaus Cusanus (), was a German Catholic cardinal, philosopher, theologian, jurist, mathematician, and astronomer. One of the first German proponents of Renai ...
.
He returned to the University of Vienna in 1453, earned his Masters of Arts, and began lecturing on Latin poetry.
He is often credited as a leader in reviving classical Greek and Roman literature in arts and sciences.
Peuerbach attended many university lectures that focused on Roman poets, which led to him playing one of the leading roles in the revitalization of classical learning introduced by
Aenaes Silvius Piccolomini.
Peuerbach eventually followed the advice of the court astrologer to
Emperor Friedrich III in
Wiener-Nestadt, Johann Nihil, and took the position of court astrologer to the king of
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
. After being court astrologer for a few years, Peuerbach eventually went on to become imperial
astrologer
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...
.
While at Vienna in 1454, Peuerbach taught planetary motion to students at the university. Peuerbach's lectures were based on Ptolemaic teachings and became so famous that from 1472 they were printed under the title ‘''Theoricae Novae Planetarum''‘.
In 1454 Peuerbach was appointed court
astrologer
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...
to King
Ladislas V of Bohemia and Hungary. It was in this capacity that Peuerbach first met Ladislas' cousin Frederick who was then serving as guardian to the 14-year-old king and who would later become
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick III (German: ''Friedrich III,'' 21 September 1415 – 19 August 1493) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1452 until his death. He was the fourth king and first emperor of the House of Habsburg. He was the penultimate emperor to be crown ...
. Ladislas resided primarily in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
and Vienna, allowing Peuerbach to maintain his position at the University of Vienna. During this time Peuerbach met Regiomontanus, who was then a student at the university. After Regiomontanus graduated in 1452 at the age of 15, he began collaborating extensively with Peuerbach in his astronomical work.
In 1457, following the assassination of two notable political figures, Ladislas fled Vienna and died in 1458. Peurbach did not receive an appointment from either of Ladislas' two successors.
However he was asked to be the ''Astronomus caesaris'' for Emperor
Frederick III, which is the position he held until his death.
Georg von Peuerbach passed away on April 8, 1461. His work set the path for future scholars, scientists, and astronomers for years to come; Peurbach’s early death was a serious loss to the progress of astronomy,
although
Regiomontanus
Johannes Müller von Königsberg (6 June 1436 – 6 July 1476), better known as Regiomontanus (), was a mathematician, astrologer and astronomer of the German Renaissance, active in Vienna, Buda and Nuremberg. His contributions were instrumental ...
, his successor, was able to continue his work.
Work
Peuerbach is best-known for his work''Theoricae Novae Planetarum,'' written in 1454, and published by his disciple Regiomontanus in 1472.
["The Early Manuscripts of Georg von Peuerbach's Theoricae Novae Planetarum"](_blank)
/ref> ''Theoricae Novae Planetarum'' presented a version of Claudius Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...
geocentric system in a more colloquial and comprehensible way. Based on a series of Peuerbach's lectures at Bürgerschule in Vienna that were transcribed by Regiomontanus. The book introduced the "New Planetary Theory of Georg von Peuerbach" based on the already successful Ptolomaic system, this new theory presented the physical realities of eccentric planetary spheres. In his model of the sun Peuerbach removed simple eccentric shells and added partial orbs, some of which were eccentric and some concentric to the center of the world. Similar models for the planets replaced the body of the sun with an epicycle sphere carrying each planet.
Peuerbach ideas replaced ''Theorica Planetarum Communis'', a work credited to Gerardus Cremonensis, as the standard university text on astronomy and was studied by many influential astronomers including Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic Church, Catholic cano ...
and Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler (; ; 27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws ...
.
In 1457 Peuerbach observed an eclipse and noted that it had occurred 8 minutes earlier than had been predicted by the Alphonsine Tables, the best available astronomical tables at the time. He then computed his own set of eclipse tables, the ''Tabulae Eclipsium.'' Widely read in manuscript form beginning around 1459 and formally published in 1514, these tables remained highly influential for many years.
Peuerbach wrote various papers on practical mathematics and constructed various astronomical instrument
Astronomical instruments include:
*Alidade
* Armillary sphere
*Astrarium
* Astrolabe
*Astronomical clock
*the Antikythera mechanism, an astronomical clock
*Blink comparator
*Bolometer
*the Canterbury Astrolabe Quadrant
* Celatone
* Celestial spher ...
s. Most notably, he computed sine tables based on techniques developed by Islamicate mathematicians. Peuerbach's work was instrumental in establishing a more modern understanding of mathematics.
In 1460, Cardinal Johannes Bessarion, while visiting Frederick's court seeking assistance in a crusade to reclaim Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
from the Turks, proposed that Peuerbach and Regiomontanus create a new translation of Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
's ''Almagest
The ''Almagest'' is a 2nd-century Greek-language mathematical and astronomical treatise on the apparent motions of the stars and planetary paths, written by Claudius Ptolemy ( ). One of the most influential scientific texts in history, it canoni ...
'' from the original Greek. Bessarion thought that a shorter and more clearly written version of the work would make a suitable teaching text. Peuerbach accepted the task and worked on it with Regiomontanus until his death in 1461, at which time 6 volumes had been completed. Regiomontanus completed the project, and the final version containing 13 volumes was published in 1496.
Accomplishments
* In February 1453, Georg Von Peuerbach was awarded with the Magister Artium
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in Vienna.
* Peuerbach began the translation of Ptolemy's Almagest from Greek into Latin, a task which was completed and published by his student Regiomontanus
Johannes Müller von Königsberg (6 June 1436 – 6 July 1476), better known as Regiomontanus (), was a mathematician, astrologer and astronomer of the German Renaissance, active in Vienna, Buda and Nuremberg. His contributions were instrumental ...
in 1496.
* Expanded the Astronomy program at the University of Vienna.
* Influenced many other European astrological and astronomical discoveries with his observations and ideologies
Legacy
Georg von Peuerbach work outlives him because of his ability to communicate astronomy, mathematics and art. His contributions simplified seeming difficult ideas, making them more digestible and inspiring critical thought. Through his tutelage he was able to create an astronomy program at his alma mater, further expanding the understanding of astronomy.
Peuerbach's and Regiomontanus
Johannes Müller von Königsberg (6 June 1436 – 6 July 1476), better known as Regiomontanus (), was a mathematician, astrologer and astronomer of the German Renaissance, active in Vienna, Buda and Nuremberg. His contributions were instrumental ...
's contribution expanded the European understanding of astronomy by translating Ptolemy's ''Almagest'' in a book that later influenced Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic Church, Catholic cano ...
. Though the work was completed after Peuerbach's death in 1461, Regiomontanus carried on with the task and eventually the ''Epitome of the Almagest'' was published in 1496, nearly 35 years after his teacher’s passing, and 20 years after his own (Regiomontanus died in 1476). This book would go on to be an important reference for Nicholas Copernicus for the creation of his book ''De Revolutionibus''.
Ironically Nicolaus Copernicus work, and later Sir Issac Newtons disproved many of the ideas that Peuerbach supported while defending the Ptolemaic system, nonetheless his advancement in technology and theory help modernize the study of astronomy.
A Peuerbach's input in Regiomontanus's trigonometric tables was used by future astronomers in the coming century. Though a fair amount of Peuerbach's work is believed to have circulated in academia, his full observations were only published by Johann Schöner nearly a century after Peuerbach's death. His ''Theoricae Novae Planetarum'' would be released in numerous editions between 1472 and 1596, with additions by scholars such as Regiomontanus, Peter Apian, Erasmus Reinhold, and Philip Melanchthon
Philip Melanchthon. (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lu ...
. It is believed that by 1653, at least 56 Latin printings of the text had been published with numerous editions in other languages as well.
Peuerbach’s ''Theoricae Novae Planetarum'' became one of the most common astronomy textbooks used to train future scholars. He is credited with being instrumental in the European understanding of astronomy and the Ptolemaic system. The descriptions of the solid spheres model (common to the Ptolemaic planetary system) seen in the ''Theoricae Novae Planetarum'' would remain the accepted view of the nature of the spheres until the time of Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe ( ; born Tyge Ottesen Brahe; generally called Tycho (14 December 154624 October 1601) was a Danish astronomer, known for his comprehensive astronomical observations, generally considered to be the most accurate of his time. He was k ...
, who disproved the existence of solid spheres. The ''Theoricae Novae Planetarum'' is also credited with helping to establish much of the technical vocabulary used by astronomers through the seventeenth century.
Peuerbach is also known to have developed and distributed tables that were capable of predicting eclipses of both the sun and the moon, and this practice was continued by Regiomontanus. The manuscript, titled ''Tabulae Eclipsium'', saw continued use, as late as Tycho Brahe near the end of the sixteenth century. He is also believed to have overseen the collection and duplication of numerous astronomical manuscripts. This culminated in the development of a scientific printing press in Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
by Regiomontanus. The printing press was further used to publish astronomical works such as Peuerbach's own ''Theoricae Novae Planetarum'', as well as the ''Astronomicon'' written by the poet Manilius
Works
*
Tabulae eclipsium
(in Latin). 1459 treatises based on elementary arithmetic, sine tables, calculating devices, and the astronomical instruments
*Peurbach, Georg and Regiomontanus, ''Tractatus Georgi Peurbachii super propositiones Ptolemaei de sinubus & chordis'' (A treatise of George Peurbach on the propositions of Ptolemy concerning the sines and chords), Johann Petreius, Germany, 1468
Notes
References
;Attribution
*
Further reading
*Ralf Kern: Wissenschaftliche Instrumente in ihrer Zeit. Band 1: Vom Astrolab zum mathematischen Besteck. Köln, 2010.
*
Electronic facsimile-editions of the rare book collection at the Vienna Institute of Astronomy
External links
*
*
*
*
Online Galleries, History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries
High resolution images of works by and/or portraits of Georg von Peurbach in .jpg and .tiff format.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peuerbach, Georg Von
1423 births
1461 deaths
15th-century Austrian astronomers
15th-century Austrian mathematicians
Austrian astronomers
Austrian mathematicians
Austrian Roman Catholics
Austrian scientific instrument makers
University of Vienna alumni
Academics of the University of Vienna
15th-century Austrian writers