Bramer, Benjamin

1. Dates
Born: Felsberg, Germany ca. Feb 1588
Died: Ziegenhain, Germany 17 Mar 1652
Dateinfo: Birth Uncertain
Lifespan: 64
2. Father
Occupation: Cleric, Scientist
His father was a minister; his foster father, Joost Bürgi, was an instrument maker and mathematician (who is also in this catalogue).
No clear information on financial status.
3. Nationality
Birth: German
Career: German
Death: German
4. Education
Schooling: No University
Secondary: Joost Bürgi directed Bramer's education, incl. tutoring him in mathematics.
University: none.
5. Religion
Affiliation: Protestant (unclear whether Lutheran or Reformed)
6. Scientific Disciplines
Primary: Mathematics, Military Engineering
7. Means of Support
Primary: Engineering, Patronage
1603 or 1604, Bramer accompanied Buergi to the imperial court at Prague.
1609, he returned to Kassel.
1612, Landgrave Moritz of Hesse-Kassel appointed Bramer the master builder of the court in Marburg.
1618, advised Count Christian von Waldeck on building a church (war prevented its being built).
1620, began directing the construction of fortifications of Marburg castle and in the town.
1625, consultant to the count of Solms at the fortress of Rheinfels.
1630-4, in charge of the fortifications in Kassel.
1635, appointed princely master builder and treasurer of the important Hessian fortress of Ziegenhain.
8. Patronage
Types: Court, Aristocracy, Scientist
Court of Hesse-Kassel, also other aristrocrats.
His brother-in-law (who was also his foster father), Joost Buergi (q.v.) was the court clockmaker in Kassel.
Architect to various princelings (see above).
9. Technological Involvement
Types: Mil Engring, Architecture, Instruments
See above. Bramer also built buildings.
He devised instruments for measurement.
10. Scientific Societies
Memberships: None
Sources
  1. M. Cantor, in Allgemeine deutsche Biographie, 3, 234 -- nothing really new.
  2. Christian Gottlieb Jöcher, Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexikon, 1, (Leigpzig, 1750), 1328 -- nothing relevant.
  3. Not in Neue Deutsche Biographie.
Not Available and Not Consulted
  1. Johann Heinrich Zedler, Universal Lexikon, 4, (Halle-Leipzig, 1733), 997. Friedrich Wilhelm Strieder, Grundlage zu einer hessischen Gelehrten- und Schriftsstellergeschichte, 1 (Goettingen, 1781), 521 ff -- not in Library. Nouvelles annales de mathematiques (Bulletin de bibliographie), (Paris, 1858), 75f.
  2. Wolfgand Medding, "Das Projekt einer Zentalkirche des hessischen Hofbaumeisters Benjamin Bramer," Hessenland, Heimatzeitschrift fuer Kurhessen, 49 (Marburg, 1938), 82f.
  3. Karl Justi, "Das Marburger Schloss," Veroeffentlichungen der Historischen Kommision fuer Hessen und Waldeck, 21 (Marburg, 1942), 94, 98, 105.
Compiled by:
Richard S. Westfall
Department of History and Philosophy of Science
Indiana University

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