Christmann, Jacob

1. Dates

Born: Johannesberg, Reingau, Germany, November 1554

Died: Heidelberg, Germany, 16 June 1613

Dateinfo: Dates Certain

Lifespan: 59

2. Father

Occupation: No Information

No information on financial status.

3. Nationality

Birth: German

Career: German

Death: German

4. Education

Schooling: Heidelberg

He studied oriental subjects at Heidelberg. He must have earned a B.A.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Calvinist

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Astronomy

Subordinate: Mathematics

7. Means of Support

Primary: Academic Position

Secondary: Schoolmaster

Christmann became a teacher at Heidelberg in 1580, but had to leave shortly thereafter because he would not subscribe to the Lutheran concordat-formulary; travelled for some time.

ca. 1582 taught in a Reformed school in Neustadt, Pfalz.

Returned to Heidelberg; 18 June 1584, appointed professor of Hebrew at Heidelberg.

From 1591 on taught Aristotelian logic.

1602, made rector of university.

1608, Frederick IV appointed him professor of Arabic.

8. Patronage

Types: Unknown, Court Official

One Konrad Marius, of whom I know nothing, recognized Christmann's ability when Christmann was a young man, and paid for his education.

Frederick IV appointed him professor in 1608.

9. Technological Involvement

Type: Instruments

Christmann developed an instrument which involved a telescope to take the altitude of stars.

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

Informal: corresponded with Kepler.

He inherited a large library form Valentine Otho.

Sources

1. Melchior Adam, Vitae Germanorum Philosophorum, (Heidelberg, 1615), pp. 518-522.
2. M. Cantor in Algemeine Deutsche Biographie.
3. Robert McKeon, "Le debuts de l'astronomie de precision," Physis, 13 (1971), 225-88; 14 (1972), 221-42; especially 14, 222.
4. Verdonk (DSB) lists other works on his science and oriental scholarship.

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.