Christoph Pfautz

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Christoph Pfautz (born October 11, 1645 in Leipheim , † August 2, 1711 in Leipzig ) was a German mathematician, astronomer, geographer and librarian.

Life

Little is known about Pfautz's early years. He was born the son of the Protestant theologian Christoph Pfautz and his wife Barbara. In 1649 the family moved to Augsburg , where he experienced his early years and probably enjoyed his first training. The only thing that seems certain is that he and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz began studying at the University of Leipzig in 1660 , where he obtained the academic degree of Master of Philosophy in 1664 . As such, he gave lectures at the Leipzig University, completed his habilitation and in 1670 became an assessor in the philosophical faculty.

As the successor to Johann Kühn (1619–1676), Pfautz, after he had represented Kühn in 1675, became a full professor of mathematics at Leipzig University in 1676. In this function he was also involved in the organizational tasks of the Leipzig University. In the summer semesters of 1676, 1678, 1682, 1686, 1690, 1692, 1694, 1696, 1698, 1704, 1708 he was rector of the Alma Mater . In 1691 he became the university's librarian, was senior of the Franconian nation, dean and senior of the philosophical faculty, decemvir of the university and member of the great prince's college . His lectures ranged from geometry and geodesy to trigonometry and astronomy. Among other things, he used the works of Giovanni Battista Riccioli (1598–1671) in his lectures .

Pfautz is considered a co-founder of Acta Eruditorum . In order to win correspondents for the magazine, he took his brother-in-law Otto Mencke on a trip to Holland and England in 1680, which took him via Amsterdam , Utrecht , London , Oxford , Delft , Leiden and Antwerp to the most important and famous people of the time. He met Isaac Newton , among others , whose views he introduced to the German scholarly world in the Acta Eruditorum. Pfautz had been Leibniz's regular correspondent since 1679 and was one of the early enlightenment groups at Leipzig University. His most important students include Christian Wolff and Jacob Leupold .

family

Pfautz had married Catharina in 1681 (born March 1, 1657 in Oldenburg; † May 4, 1703 in Leipzig), daughter of the Oldenburg council and merchant Hans (Johann) Mencke († after 1680). From this marriage, the doctor Johann Christoph Pfautz (* Leipzig; † August 20, 1714 in Grimma), who received his doctorate from the University of Erfurt in 1712, is known. Pfautz also appears in Otto von Bismarck's genealogical line .

Works

  • Diss. De eclipsis solis.
  • Diss. De fluxu sanguinis e copore occisi ad praesentiam occisoris.
  • Diss. De parallaxibus.
  • Diss. De eclipsi terrae.

literature

Web link

References and comments

  1. ↑ * 1607 in Ulm, † March 16, 1678 in Augsburg, studied on October 18, 1627 at the University of Tübingen, on April 18, 1629 at the University of Wittenberg, was a master's degree, 1634 deacon in Langenau, 1636 pastor in Riedheim, 1639 pastor Leipheim, 1649 hospital pastor Augsburg, 1661 pastor St. Ulrich Augsburg, 1661 senior in Augsburg
  2. ↑ * November 30, 1609 in Ulm; † March 24, 1655 in Augsburg, had married C. Pfautz the Elder on August 26, 1634. She was the daughter of the shipper and wine merchant Konrad Heilbronner and his wife Anna (née Immerler) (cf. Georg Wilhelm Zapf: Augsburgische Bibliothek. Or historical-critical-literary directory of all writings that concern the city of Augsburg and explain its history. Verlag Johann Melchior Lotter, Augsburg, 1795, 2nd volume, p. 1021 ( online ))
personal data
SURNAME Pfautz, Christoph
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German mathematician, astronomer, geographer and librarian
DATE OF BIRTH October 11, 1645
PLACE OF BIRTH Leipheim
DATE OF DEATH August 2, 1711
Place of death Leipzig