Johann Rudolf Stadler (1605 – 16 October 1637) was a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

Protestant

clockmaker A clockmaker is an artisan who makes and/or repairs clocks. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly t ...

. He is mostly known for his life in

Safavid Iran Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

, where he worked as a prosperous watchmaker. He eventually fell victim to intrigue in relation to the death of a trespasser on his property, and was executed.

Biography

A native of

Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...

, Stadler was a son of a certain Erhard, a seller of

stove A stove or range is a device that burns fuel or uses electricity to generate heat inside or on top of the apparatus, to be used for general warming or cooking. It has evolved highly over time, with cast-iron and induction versions being develope ...

s. In 1627, he left on a mission to

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 (" ...

, the capital of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, for his uncle Johann Rudolf Schmid von Schwarzenhorn. There, he met the French traveller

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605–1689) was a 17th-century French gem merchant and traveler. Tavernier, a private individual and merchant traveling at his own expense, covered, by his own account, 60,000 leagues in making six voyages to Persia ...

. Stadler and Tavernier subsequently travelled together to

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

, the capital of the Safavid Empire. Stadler arrived in Safavid Iran in 1631 where he soon made a name for himself as watchmaker. Safavid

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

("King") Safi (1629–1642) was pleased by the watch that Stadler made for him while at Isfahan, and he was subsequently employed at court. Over the next three years, Stadler repaired all of the Shah's broken watches. Stadler became a wealthy man of high standing in the Safavid Empire, and married a

Nestorian Nestorianism is a term used in Christian theology and Church history to refer to several mutually related but doctrinarily distinct sets of teachings. The first meaning of the term is related to the original teachings of Christian theologian N ...

woman. In 1637, he sought to return to Europe together with the Holstein embassy which was led by Otto Bruggeman, his brother-in-law. Shah Safi however offered him a large amount of money to stay. Before Stadler was able to make a decision, however, he shot dead a man who had broken into his house at night. Stadler had caught the same intruder once before and had ordered him never to set foot again in his house. According to Tavernier, the man was not a burglar, but the lover of Stadler's wife. Though Safavid law was on Stadler's side, intrigue sealed his fate; the Safavid

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...

had him incarcerated and sentenced to death. Shah Safi was willing to

pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...

Stadler if he converted to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

and had himself

circumcised Circumcision is a surgical procedure, procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin ...

; however, as he

refused Refused (also known as the Refused) is a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå and formed in 1991. Refused is composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge. Guit ...

, the court carried out the sentence. He was executed by the sword, on 16 October 1637, and was buried in Isfahan.; ; ; .

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stadler, Johann Rudolf 1605 births 1637 deaths People from Zürich 17th-century Swiss people 17th-century people of Safavid Iran People executed by Safavid Iran Swiss Protestants Swiss watchmakers (people) Christian martyrs Swiss clockmakers Swiss expatriates in Iran Burials in Iran