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

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