Ulrich Hosius (german: Ulrich Hosse; lt, Ulrichas Hozijus; pl, Ulryk Hozjusz; c. 1455–1535 in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

) was a noble of

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 **Ger ...

descent from the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...

. Born in

Pforzheim Pforzheim () is a city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany. It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the nickname "Goldstadt" ("Golden City") ...

, he lived most of his life in the

and at the court of

Lithuanian rulers Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other J ...

. In the early 16th century, he was made a high-ranking official at the

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...

(1503). He then he moved to

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...

in 1504, where he became a prominent and influential citizen. Later Hosius relocated to

where he headed the newly opened

Lithuanian Mint Lithuanian Mint ( lt, Lietuvos monetų kalykla) is the state-owned Company, enterprise, responsible for the mintage of Coins of the Lithuanian litas, coins and Orders, decorations, and medals of Lithuania, decorations of Lithuania. The shareholdi ...

and took the offices of mayor (

Castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

) of Vilnius between 1524 and 1535 and flag-bearer of Vilnius Castle during 1528–1535. From 1513, Hosius was appointed as a supervisor (aedilis) at the reconstruction of the Lower Castle by the Grand Duke of Lithuania

Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old ( pl, Zygmunt I Stary, lt, Žygimantas II Senasis; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the ...

and as a supervisor of the reconstruction of the

Royal palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...

. From 1515 Hosius supervised the building of mills in the Grand Duchy. He is remembered as the builder of the Green Bridge (1532–1534), one of the first permanent bridges across the

Neris River The river Neris () or Viliya ( be, Ві́лія, pl, Wilia ) rises in northern Belarus. It flows westward, passing through Vilnius (Lithuania's capital) and in the south-centre of that country it flows into the Nemunas (Neman), at Kaunas, as ...

and the first recorded owner of the village of Bezdonys (since 1516). Hosius started the construction of St. Theresa Church in Vilnius. Simultaneously Hosius started the construction works on The Holy Trinity asylum, which was finished by his son,

Stanislaus Hosius Stanislaus Hosius ( pl, Stanisław Hozjusz; 5 May 1504 – 5 August 1579) was a Polish Roman Catholic cardinal. From 1551 he was the Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Warmia in Royal Prussia and from 1558 he served as the papal legate to the Ho ...

in 1570, who rose to the ranks of a Catholic bishop, cardinal and Papal legate. Hosius supervised the construction of the first water-supply system of Vilnius.

References

* * 1455 births 1535 deaths 15th-century Lithuanian nobility 16th-century Lithuanian nobility 15th-century Polish nobility 16th-century Polish nobility Lithuanian people of German descent Mayors of Vilnius People from Pforzheim Polish people of German descent {{Poland-noble-stub