Lucas Watzenrode (also, in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, ''Lukas''; in
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
, ''Łukasz''; 1400, in
Thorn
Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to:
Botany
* Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants
* ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species
Comics and literature
* Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...
,
Ermland –1462, in
Thorn
Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to:
Botany
* Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants
* ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species
Comics and literature
* Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...
) was the maternal grandfather of
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 canon, who formulated ...
.
Life
Lucas Watzenrode the Elder was registered in the Thorn citizen registry book (''Thorner Bürgerbuch'') as landowner, businessmen, judge, councilman, etc., living at ''Seglergasse'' in Thorn. In 1436 he married Katharina von Rüdiger. In 1448 he and other Thorn burghers are registered as having been summoned to the court at
Limburg
Limburg or Limbourg may refer to:
Regions
* Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium
* Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands
* Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...
.
Lucas and his wife Katharina had a daughter, Barbara, who married Nicolas Kopernik. Katharina's sister Christina married Tideman von Allen. Both sisters married in Towun.
Lucas Watzenrode the Elder's grandson became known as
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 canon, who formulated ...
. Copernicus had an uncle, his mother's brother, also named Lucas Watzenrode (
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (sometimes ''Watzelrode'' and ''Waisselrod''; german: Lucas Watzenrode der Jüngere; pl, Łukasz Watzenrode; 30 October 1447 – 29 March 1512) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermland) and patron to his nephew, ast ...
), who as Bishop of
Ermland strongly supported the independence of
Ermland and helped rear Nicolaus and his brother Andreas after their father's death.
Christina and Tideman's daughter Cordula von Allen married Reinhold Feldstedt, who was born 1468 in
Danzig and died
1529
__NOTOC__
Year 1529 ( MDXXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* February 2 – The Örebro Synod provides the theological foundation of th ...
in Danzig. Their daughter Katharina Feldstedt married Herman Giese, born
1523
Year 1523 ( MDXXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 20 – Christian II is forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway.
...
in Danzig. A descendant was
Tideman Giese, a famous bishop of Ermland.
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger
Copernicus' uncle and patron
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (sometimes ''Watzelrode'' and ''Waisselrod''; german: Lucas Watzenrode der Jüngere; pl, Łukasz Watzenrode; 30 October 1447 – 29 March 1512) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermland) and patron to his nephew, ast ...
followed as bishop of Ermland when Bishop
Nicolaus Tungen died in 1489. Bishops were also secular rulers of Ermland. Lucas Watzenrode the Younger had been elected, but
Casimir IV, King of Poland, etc., did not wish him to be bishop; the King wanted his son Friedrich to become bishop, in order to invalidate the
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians o ...
' government and to be able to force
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
to unite with Poland. Watzenrode, however, was ordained by the pope as bishop and ruler of
Ermland, a part of
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
but then an exempt bishopric. The Prussian nobility, Teutonic Knights, and part of the Polish clergy supported Watzenrode the Younger. Poland's King Casimir IV did continue attempts at conquest and in 1492 planned to remove Watzenrode by military force. His death foiled this plan. Watzenrode the Younger now was able to have cordial neighborly working relations with the sons of Casimir IV,
Jan I Olbracht, then
Aleksander Jagiellończyk
Alexander Jagiellon ( pl, Aleksander Jagiellończyk, lt, Aleksandras Jogailaitis; 5 August 1461 – 19 August 1506) of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jagi ...
, then
Zygmunt I the Old. At times he was adviser to them. He also had good working relations with the
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians o ...
but, when necessary, upheld the independent status of Ermland.
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (sometimes ''Watzelrode'' and ''Waisselrod''; german: Lucas Watzenrode der Jüngere; pl, Łukasz Watzenrode; 30 October 1447 – 29 March 1512) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermland) and patron to his nephew, ast ...
founded a cathedral school in
Frauenburg and planned to open a university in
Elbing. He had a large library and was instrumental in having the first literary books printed for the Ermland bishopric. He donated many paintings and sculptures, altars, etc.
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger
Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (sometimes ''Watzelrode'' and ''Waisselrod''; german: Lucas Watzenrode der Jüngere; pl, Łukasz Watzenrode; 30 October 1447 – 29 March 1512) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermland) and patron to his nephew, ast ...
's nephew
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 canon, who formulated ...
and the latter's brother Andreas Kopernik were reared by their Bishop uncle from the death of their father in 1483. Copernicus aided Watzenrode from 1503 to 1510 and received a
canonate. Having the accompanying income, in turn, was of great assistance to Copernicus in his
astronomical
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxi ...
studies and enabled him to dispense free medical help to the poor inhabitants of Ermland.
See also
*
Bishops of Warmia
This is a list of Bishops and Prince-Bishops of the Diocese of Warmia ( pl, link=no, Diecezja warmińska, la, link=no, Dioecesis Varmiensis, german: link=no, Bistum Ermland), which was elevated to the Archdiocese of Warmia in 1992.
The Bisho ...
*
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 canon, who formulated ...
References
* Library Danzig, J. Kretzmer, ''Liber de episcopatu et episcopi Varmiensis ex vetusto Chronico Bibliotheca Heilsbergensis'', 1593.
* Christoph Hartknoch, ''Preussische Kirchen-Historia'',
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, 1668.
* M.G. Centner, ''Geehrte und Gelehrte Thorner'', Thorn, 1763.
* A. Semrau, ''"Katalog der Geschlechter der Schöffenbank und des Ratsstuhles in der Altstadt Thorn 1233-1602"'', in: ''Mitteilungen des Copernicus-Vereins für Wissenschaft und Kunst zu Thorn'' 46, 1938.
* Wojciech Iwanczak, "Lucas Watzenrode", in ''Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon'', Bautz Verla
* ''Poczet biskupów warmińskich'',
Olsztyn
Olsztyn ( , ; german: Allenstein ; Old Prussian: ''Alnāsteini''
* Latin: ''Allenstenium'', ''Holstin'') is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. ...
, 1998.
pl:Łukasz Watzenrode
1400 births
1462 deaths
Nicolaus Copernicus