Bock, Jerome [Hieronymus Tragus]

1. Dates

Born: Heidesbach or Heidelsheim, Germany, 1498

Died: Hornbach, Germany, 21 Feb 1554

Dateinfo: Dates Certain

Lifespan: 56

2. Father

Occupation: No Information

Family said to be respectable but not wealthy. They were able to support him through university. I call them prosperous.

3. Nationality

Birth: German

Career: German

Death: German

4. Education

Schooling: Heidelberg

May have studied at U of Heidelberg, no record of a degree.

Studied theology and philosophy, pursued medicine and botany.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Catholic, Lutheran

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Botany

Subordinate: Medicine

Bock wrote a major herbarium "Kraeuterbuch."

He practiced medicine and composed a few minor early writings.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Church Life, Patronage, Government

Secondary: Schoolmaster, Medical Practice.

Bock's family was respectable but not wealthy ("massigem Wohlstande"), they were able to support him through University.

1523-32, schoolteacher in Zweibruecken.

1523?-50, palace physician to Duke Ludwig II.

1523-32, laid out & supervised Duke's botanical garden.

1533-50, canon (Stiftsherr) at Benedictine church of St. Fabian's chapter house in Hornbach -- a sinecure, "eine reich fundierte Predigerstelle."

-- still court physician at Zweibrucken, also state physician (Landphysicus) under the protection of the government (bei der Regierung Schutz).

1538, Lutheran minister of Hornbach, also chaplain to the Benedictine abbot of St Fabians, Johann Kintheuser (a closet Lutheran), whereupon Bock's income was substantially increased (wesentlich erhoehte).

1546, handed the canonry of St Fabian's to his son, Heinrich Bock.

After 1548: Catholics in Hornbach complained to Emperor Charles V about the Protestant direction of St Fabian's; Abbot Kintheuser was made to resign; Bock's salary was confiscated, Bock was in severe need, he petitioned Wolfgang but this failed to change his circumstances; Philip invited Bock to Saarbruecken (Roth describes this as "unexpected help")

1550, consulting physician to Landgraf (Graf) Philipp II of Nassau -- yielded only sporadic income; also supervised his garden; Philipp maintained him, "unterhielt" him.

1551, returned to his position as minister (Pfarrer) at Hornbach.

8. Patronage

Type: Court

Duke (Herzog) Ludwig II and Philipp of Hesse.

Johann Swebel may have helped Bock get the Zweibrucken teaching position (Roth).

Soon after Bock arrived in Zweibrucken he had developed a good relationship with the palace; through the favor of the Pfalzgraf Ludwig (his "Goenner"), obtained the schoolteaching post.

1532, Ludwig died in Bock's arms; regency established for young Duke Wolfgang.

1546, 2nd edition of the Kraeuterbuch dedicated to Count (Landgraf) Philipp von Hessen (Duke Wolfgang's father-in-law).

Sometime before 1548, Bock cured Count (Graf) Philipp II von Nassau-Saarbruecken of a life-threatening illness 1551, 3rd edition of Kraeuterbuch dedicated to the Count (this edition contained the N-S coat of arms).

Reihel, publisher of the Kraeuterbuch, described by Roth as patron ("Goenner"), but seems figurative (maybe financed Kraeuterbuch).

Otto Brunfels described by Roth as patron or abettor ("Beguenstiger"). By itself this does not sound like patronage.

9. Technological Involvement

Type: Medical Practice

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

Informal: some informal collaboration, corresponded with distinguished botanists (especially Otto Brunfels), examined and received samples from friends' gardens.

Formal: none.

Sources

1. Ernst H. F. Meyer, Geschichte der Botanik, 4, (Koenigsberg, 1857), pp. 303-309 -- Microprint Q 111 . L2 (Landmarks of Science) #M159 and Bio Lib QK 15 . M6 -- his chief source is Adam.
2. F. W. E. Roth, "Hieronymus Bock, genannt Tragus (1498 - 1554)," Botanisches Centralblatt, 74 (1898), 265-71, 313-18, 344-7-- QK1.B765 --major source, lists other sources, second part mostly an analysis of his book.
3. Kurt Sprengel, Geschichte der Botanik, 1, (Altenberg - Leipzig, 1817), 269-72 -- Microprint Q 111 . L2 (Landmarks of Science) #S153 -- nothing new.

Not Available and Not Consulted

1. Melchior Adam, Vitae Germanorum medicorum, (Heidelberg, 1620), pp. 67-72 -- Manuscripta List 6 reel 1.
2. F. W. E. Roth ?, "Hieronymus Bock, gennant Tragus, Prediger, Arzt und Botaniker 1498 bis 1554," Mitteilungen des historischen Vereins der Pfalz, 23 (1899), 25-74.

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.