Copernicus' Life
Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 the youngest of four children, in the city of Torun in Royal Prussia which became part of the Kingdom of Poland. His father (Nicolaus Copernicus) was a merchant from Krakow that had moved to Torun and his mother (Barbara Watzenrode) was a daughter of a wealthy merchant family of Torun. His father died in 1483 and he was left under the protection of Lucas Watzenrode, his maternal uncle. Copernicus’ maternal uncle helped him advance in church and his education. With the help of Lucas Watzenrode, Copernicus was elected canon of the chapter of Frombork of the Cathedral Chapter of Warmia, (an administrative position just below that of bishop) and this helped him financially. Meanwhile he went to many universities and studied. Through his education Copernicus travelled to many different places. He went to Rome in Italy, to Krakow, Frombork, Bologna, Padua, Lidzbark-Warminski, and Wittenberg. Then on May 24, 1543 at the age of about 70 Copernicus peacefully died. | Name
During this time period people were often named after the places where they lived. Copernicus’ surname was spelled in various different ways and was most likely inspired by the Silesian Copper-mining industry or the dill plant that grows in Silesia (written in Polish: Kopernik or Koperek). Today most English-speakers know the astronomer by the Latinized name ”Nicolaus Copernicus.” During Copernicus’ childhood in 1480, the name was recorded in Torun as Niclas Koppernigk (his fathers name). Yet through the years he changed it from Niclas Koppernigk, to Nicolaus Nicolai de Torunia, to Matricula Nobilissimi Germanorum Collegii resp. Annales Clarissimae Nacionis Germanorum of the Natio Germanica Bononiae as Dominus Nicolaus Kopperlingk de Thorn – IX grosseti, to Nicolaus Copernik. Then eventually signed Copernik as Coppernicus and then later with only one “p”. His name had changed a lot over the years. |