Johann Isaak Pontanus

Joannes Pontanus

Johann Isaak Pontanus (born January 21, 1571 near Helsingør , † October 7, 1639 in Harderwijk ) was a Dutch-Danish historian.

Life

Johann was the son of the Dutch businessman and diplomat Isaak Peterssohn Pontanus († 1615 in Denmark). He was born not far from Helsingør on a sea voyage to Denmark . After attending the Amsterdam School , he began studying medicine at Franeker University on May 3rd, 1589 . However, in order to be able to complete this, he first needed an education in the philosophical sciences. To this end, he turned to the University of Jena in the summer semester of 1590, moved to the University of Leipzig in the summer semester of 1590 and enrolled in the matriculation of the University of Wittenberg on October 4, 1591 .

In Wittenberg he acquired the academic degree of Master of Philosophy on March 21, 1591 and moved to the University of Leiden on September 17, 1592 to continue his philosophical studies. In 1593 he went on a gentlemanly trip to Rome. On his return trip he visited various scholars in Augsburg, Munich, Ingolstadt and Frankfurt / Main. When he returned to the Netherlands, the travel bug caught him again. So he came to Denmark where he made the acquaintance of Tycho Brahe and other Danish scholars of that time. In 1596 he moved to England, where he frequented Canterbury, Oxford and Cambridge.

After further studies at the University of Heidelberg , he went to the University of Basel , where he received his doctorate in medicine on August 23, 1601. In 1606 he became a high school professor for mathematics and metaphysics at the Illustre high school in Harderwijk. As such, he emerged as a historian of Danish and Dutch historiography. He also wrote various treatises on Roman authors of antiquity. Pontanus is regarded as a pioneer of the Dutch fact-based historical studies due to his historical scientific exact work.

Works

• Analectorum libri III. Rostock, 1599;
• Historia urbis et rerum Amstelodamensium historia. Amsterdam, 1611;
• Disceptationes chorographicae de Rheni divortiis atque otiis eorumque accolis adversus Phil. Cluvertium. Amsterdam, 1614;
• Originum Francicarum libri VI. Harderwijk, 1616;
• Observationes in Tractatum de globis, caelisti et terrestri auclore Rob. Huesi, Anglo. Amsterdam, 1617; Amsterdam, 1624; Oxford, 1663;
• Disputationes chorographicae adversus Phil. Cluverium. Harderwijk, 1617;
• Noviomagum Gelriae ducatus urbs primaria. Harderwijk, 1628;
• De Pygmæis. Harderwijk, 1629;
• Rerum Danicarum historia usque ad domum Oldenburgicam deducta. Vol. 1, Amsterdam, 1631; Vol. 2, Flensburg, 1737;
• Poematum libri VI. Amsterdam, 1631;
• Discussionum historicarum libri II, quibus praecipue quatenus et quodnam mare liberum vel non liberum clausumque accipiendum, discipitur expenditurque. Harderwijk, 1637;
• Historiae Gelriae ad annum 1581 libri XIV. Harderwijk, 1639;

literature

• II Pontanus: Rerum Danicarum Historia. Amstelodami 1631
• Kr. Erslev: Pontanus, Johannes Isaksen . In: Christian Blangstrup (Ed.): Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon . 2nd Edition. tape 19 : Perlite rendehest . JH Schultz Forlag, Copenhagen 1925, p. 402 (Danish, runeberg.org ).
• Pieter Lodewijk Muller :  Pontanus, Johannes Isacius . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 26, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1888, p. 413 f.
• Johann Isaak Pontanus on denstoredanske.dk in Dansk biografisk leksikon , 3rd edition (Danish)
• Haak: Pontanus (Johannes Isacius of Johan Isakkszoon) . In: Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek (NNBW). Leiden, 1911, Vol. 1, Col. 1417 ff .;
• Abraham Jacob van der Aa : Pontanus (Johnnes Isaacus) . In: Biographical Woordenboek of the Neederlanden. Haarlem, 1872, vol. 15, p. 403;