Olaus Magnus

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Carta Marina (1539)
Depiction of different forms of divination from Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus (1555)

Olaus Magnus , latinized from Olof Månsson (* 1490 in Östergötland , † 1557 in Rome ) was a Swedish Catholic clergyman, cartographer and geographer . He was the bishop of Uppsala .

life and work

Olof Månsson was a son of Måns Petersson in Linköping and his wife Kristina. During his studies in Rostock and Cologne he latinized his name to Olaus Magnus. In 1514 he became a baccalaureus , later also a master's degree . He was canon in Uppsala and Linköping. On behalf of Giovanni Angelo Arcimboldi , the general commissioner for indulgences in northern Germany and Scandinavia, 1518-1519 traveled to Norrland , where he came via Nidaros to Pello . He later used the impressions gathered on this trip for his Carta Marina . In 1523 he became provost of the cathedral in Strängnäs .

As a devout Catholic, Olaus Magnus went into exile in 1524, as a result of the Reformation, together with his brother Johannes Magnus , the expelled Archbishop of Uppsala . When this died, Olaus was from Pope Paul III. appointed Archbishop of Uppsala, but without he could enter his territory. In this capacity he took part in the Council of Trent . As a great zealot for the Catholic faith and opponent of Lutheran doctrine, he took part in the book burnings in Bologna and participated in the creation of the book index of Giovanni Della Casa . In various petitions he tried to move leading churchmen to open the Counter Reformation in the Scandinavian countries. In 1534 Pope Paul III transferred him the church and the associated hospice Santa Brigida in Rome, where he opened a planning center for his activities and published various writings, including a historical work by his brother. In Rome he also worked on his main work, the map of Northern Europe Carta marina and the Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus , which is a commentary volume on the map. This work was the first geographical representation of the countries of the north in the Renaissance . He showed the life of the people, especially with regard to what seemed unusual in Italy, e.g. B. the swimming of the Teutons in cold water.

After his death in 1557 he was at the altar of St. Veronica is buried in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome . His nephew Magnus Laurentii was chosen as his Catholic successor.

Editions of his writings (selection)

  • Storia de 'costumi de' populi settentrionali. "Trad. de Remigio Fiorentino ”. Venice 1561.

literature

Sleigh ride , drawing by Olaus Magnus around 1530
  • Olaus Magnus: The wonders of the north ( The Other Library ; Vol. 261). Developed by Elena Balzamo and Reinhard Kaiser. Selection of works, with a reprint of the “Carta marina” from 1539. Eichborn, Frankfurt am Main 2006, ISBN 3-8218-4571-6 .
  • Kurt Brunner: The "Carta marina" of Olaus Magnus from the year 1539. In: Wolfgang Scharfe, Hans Harms (Ed.): Lectures and reports. 5. Colloquium on Cartography History. Oldenburg 1990. Reimer, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-496-00318-9 , pp. 45-57.
  • Walter Buchowiecki: Handbook of the Churches of Rome. Volume 1: The four patriarchal basilicas and the churches within the walls of Rome. S. Agata dei Goti to S. Francesco Saverio. Hollinek Brothers Publishing House, Vienna 1967.

Web links

Commons : Olaus Magnus  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ enrollment as Olauus Magnus in Rostock Matrikelportal
  2. ↑ Buchowiecki: Handbook of the Churches of Rome. Volume 1. 1967, p. 486.
  3. ↑ cf. Oskar Garstein: Rome and the Counter-Reformation in Scandinavia. Volume 1: (1539-1583). Universitetsforlaget, Oslo 1963, pp. 14-16.
  4. ^ Arnd Krüger : Swimming. The change in attitude towards a form of physical exercise . In: Arnd Krüger, John McClelland : The beginnings of modern sport in the Renaissance . (= Contributions and sources on sport and society, Vol. 2), Arena Publ., London 1984, ISBN 0-902175-45-9 , pp. 19-42.
  5. ↑ cf. Vilhelm Fredrik Palmblad (ed.): Biographiskt Lexicon öfver namnkunnige Svenska Män. Volume 15. Wahlström & Co. et al., Uppsala 1848, p. 255 .
predecessor Office successor
Johannes Magnus Archbishop of Uppsala
1544–1557 		Magnus Laurentii
personal data
SURNAME Magnus, Olaus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Måsson, Olof (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish clergyman, cartographer and geographer
DATE OF BIRTH 1490
PLACE OF BIRTH Östergötland
DATE OF DEATH 1557
Place of death Rome