Johannes Stöffler (also ''Stöfler, Stoffler, Stoeffler''; 10 December 1452 – 16 February 1531) was a German

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, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

astrologer Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

, maker of astronomical instruments and

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

at the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (; ), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Tübingen is one of eleven German Excellenc ...

Life

Johannes Stöffler was born on 10 December 1452 in Justingen (now part of Schelklingen) on the Swabian Alb. Having received his basic education at the Blaubeuren monastery school, he registered at the newly founded University of Ingolstadt on 21 April 1472, where he was consequently promoted Baccalaureus in September 1473 and Magister in January 1476. After finishing his studies he obtained the parish of Justingen where he, besides his clerical obligations, concerned himself with

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

and the making of astronomical instruments, clocks and celestial

globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...

s. He conducted a lively correspondence with leading humanists - for example, Johannes Reuchlin, for whom he made an equatorium and wrote horoscopes. In 1499, Stöffler predicted that a deluge would cover the world on 20 February 1524. In 1507, at the instigation of Duke Ulrich I, he received the newly established chair of

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and astronomy at the University of Tübingen, where he excelled in rich teaching and publication activities and finally was elected rector in 1522. By the time of his appointment, he already enjoyed a virtual monopoly in ephemeris-making in collaboration with Jacob Pflaum, continuing the calculations of Regiomontanus through 1531, and then through 1551, the latter being published posthumously in 1531. His treatise on the construction and the use of the

astrolabe An astrolabe (; ; ) is an astronomy, astronomical list of astronomical instruments, instrument dating to ancient times. It serves as a star chart and Model#Physical model, physical model of the visible celestial sphere, half-dome of the sky. It ...

, entitled ''Elucidatio fabricae ususque astrolabii'', was published in several editions and served astronomers and surveyors for a long time as a standard work. Philipp Melanchthon and Sebastian Münster rank among his most famous students. Stöffler died of the plague in Blaubeuren on 16 February 1531 after an epidemic forced the division and relocation of his university to the surrounding countryside in 1530. He was buried in the choir of the collegiate church (Stiftskirche) in

Tübingen Tübingen (; ) is a traditional college town, university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer (Neckar), Ammer rivers. about one in ...

Works

* 1493: A celestial

for the Bishop of Konstanz. This globe, as the sole remaining and most important object of his workshop, is exhibited at the Landesmuseum Württemberg in the Old Castle in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

. * 1496: An astronomical clock for the Minster of Konstanz. * 1498: A celestial globe for the Bishop of

Worms The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

. * 1499: An

almanac An almanac (also spelled almanack and almanach) is a regularly published listing of a set of current information about one or multiple subjects. It includes information like weather forecasting, weather forecasts, farmers' sowing, planting dates ...

(''Almanach nova plurimis annis venturis inserentia'') published in collaboration with the astronomer Jacob Pflaum of Ulm, which was designated as a continuation of the ephemeris of Regiomontanus. It had a large circulation, underwent 13 editions until 1551 and exerted a strong effect on

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

astronomy. * 1512 - 1514: Commentary on

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

's ''

Geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

''. Unpublished manuscript with comments on books 1 and 2 of the ''Geography'', preserved at the

; the remaining commentaries were lost in a fire in 1534. * 1513: A book on the construction and use of the

(''Elucidatio fabricae ususque astrolabii''), published in 16 editions up until 1620, and, in 2007, for the first time in English. * 1514: Astronomical tables (''Tabulae astronomicae''). * 1518: A proposal for a calendar revision (''Calendarium romanum magnum'') which formed a foundation for the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

.Alessandro Gunella and John Lamprey, ''Stoeffler's Elucidatio'' (The translation of ''Elucidatio fabricae ususque astrolabii'' into English). Published by John Lamprey, 2007. , * 1532 * 1534 (posthumously published): Commentary on the ''Sphaera'' of pseudo-Proclus (''Ioannis Stoefleri Iustingensis mathematici eruditissimi, faciléque omnium principis, in Procli Diadochi, authoris grauissimi Sphæram mundi, omnibus numeris longè absolutissimus commentarius'') * 1534

Legacy

The lunar crater " Stöfler" (with one ''f'') was named in his honour.

References

External links

Electronic facsimile-editions of the rare book collection at the Vienna Institute of AstronomyOnline Galleries, History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries
– High resolution images of works by and/or portraits of Johannes Stoeffler in .jpg and .tiff format {{DEFAULTSORT:Stoffler, Johannes 1452 births 1531 deaths People from Alb-Donau-Kreis German astrologers 15th-century German astronomers 15th-century apocalypticists 15th-century astrologers 16th-century apocalypticists 16th-century astrologers 15th-century German mathematicians Flood myths 16th-century German mathematicians Academic staff of the University of Tübingen 16th-century deaths from plague (disease) 16th-century German astronomers Globe makers