His father was a merchant from Krakow and and his family can be traced to a Village in Silesia near Nysa (Neibe). In the 14th century, they began moving to various other Silesian Cities, to the Polish capital, Kralow (1367) and Torun (1400). The father, Mikolaj the Elder came from the Krakow line.
Nicolaus was named after his father, who appears in records for the 1st time as a well-to-do merchant who dealt in copper, selling it mostly in Danzig (Gdansk). He moved from Krakow to Torun around 1458. Torun, situated on the Vistula River, the longest and largest River in Poland (1,047kms/651 mi in lenth), was at that time embroiled in the 13 Years' War, in which the Kingdom of Poland and the Prussian Confederation, an alliance of Prussian cities, gentry, and clergy, fought the Teutonic Order over control of the Region. In this War, Hanseatic Cities like Danzig and Torun, chose to support the Polish King, Casimir IV Jagiellon, who promised to respect the independence of the cities, which the Teutonic Order had challenged. Copernicus' father married Barbara Watzenrode, between 1461 and 1464. He died about 1483.
His mother was the daughter of a wealthy Torun (Thorn) patrician and city councillor, Lucas Watzenrode the Elder (deceased in 1462), and Katarzyna (widow of Jan Peckau). Lucas and Katarzyna had 3 children: Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (1447-1512), who would become Bishop of Warmia; Barbara, Copernicus' mother (deceased after 1495); and Christina (deceased before 1502), who in 1459 married the Torun merchant and mayor, Tiedeman Von Allen. Both families from father and mother had come from Silesia and after 1360 had settled in Torun. They soon became one of the wealthiest and most influential patrician (the only people allowed to exercise political functions) families. Through the Watzenrodes' extensive family relationships by marriage, Copernicus was related to wealthy families of Torun, Danzig and Elblag (Elbing), and to prominent noble families of Prussia.
Nicolaus was the younger of 4 children. His brother Andreas (Andrew) became an Agustinian Canon at Frombork (FrauenBurg). His sister Barbara, named after her mother, became a Benedictine Nun and, in her final years, Prioress of a Convent in Chelmno (Kulm); she died after 1517. His sister Katharina married the businessman and Toruh (Thorn) city councilor Barthel Gertner and left 5 children, whom Copernicus looked after to the end of his life. Copernicus never married or had children.
Upon his father's death, young Nicolaus' maternal uncle, Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (1447-1512), took the boy under his wing and saw to his education and career. He maintained contact with leading intellectual figures in Poland and was a friend of the influential Italian-born humanist and Krakow courtier, Filippo Buonaccorsi. In the winter semester of 1491-1492 copernicus was accepted at the Iniversity of Krakow (Jagiellonian) together with his brother Andrew. He acquired the foundations for his subsequent mathematical achievements from his teacher Albert BrudzewSki, who by then was a professor of Aristotelian philosophy but taught astronomy privately. Copernicus' 4 years in Krakow played an important role in the development of his critical faculties and initiated his analysis of the logical contradictions in the 2 most popular systems of astronomy -Aristotle's theory of homocentric spheres, and Ptolemy's mechanism of eccentrics and epicycles- the surmounting and discarding of which constituted the 1st step toward the creation of his own doctrine of the structure of the universe.
Without taking a degree, he left Krakow for the court of his uncle Watzenrode, who in 1489 had been elevated to Prince-Bishop of Warmia and soon sought to place his nephew in the Warmia canonry. Due to opposition from part of the chapter, it was delayed. Then Copernicus and his brother headed to Italy to study Canon Law.
In Copernicus' time, people were often called after the places where they lived. Like the Silesian village that inspired it, Copernicus' surname has been spelled variously. The surname had something to do with the local Silesian copper-minig industry, and also with the dill (kopernik) plant that grows wild in Silesia.
Upon his father's death, young Nicolaus' maternal uncle, Lucas Watzenrode the Younger (1447-1512), took the boy under his wing and saw to his education and career. He maintained contact with leading intellectual figures in Poland and was a friend of the influential Italian-born humanist and Krakow courtier, Filippo Buonaccorsi. In the winter semester of 1491-1492 copernicus was accepted at the Iniversity of Krakow (Jagiellonian) together with his brother Andrew. He acquired the foundations for his subsequent mathematical achievements from his teacher Albert BrudzewSki, who by then was a professor of Aristotelian philosophy but taught astronomy privately. Copernicus' 4 years in Krakow played an important role in the development of his critical faculties and initiated his analysis of the logical contradictions in the 2 most popular systems of astronomy -Aristotle's theory of homocentric spheres, and Ptolemy's mechanism of eccentrics and epicycles- the surmounting and discarding of which constituted the 1st step toward the creation of his own doctrine of the structure of the universe.
Without taking a degree, he left Krakow for the court of his uncle Watzenrode, who in 1489 had been elevated to Prince-Bishop of Warmia and soon sought to place his nephew in the Warmia canonry. Due to opposition from part of the chapter, it was delayed. Then Copernicus and his brother headed to Italy to study Canon Law.
In Copernicus' time, people were often called after the places where they lived. Like the Silesian village that inspired it, Copernicus' surname has been spelled variously. The surname had something to do with the local Silesian copper-minig industry, and also with the dill (kopernik) plant that grows wild in Silesia.
He was a mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the center of the universe. He was also a polyglot and polymath who obtained a doctorate in Canon Law and also practiced as a Physician, Classics Scholar, Translator, Governor, Diplomat, and Economist. Copernicus is postulated to have spoken Latin and german with equal fluency. He also spoke Polish, Greek and Italian. The vast majority of his surviving works are in Latin, which in his lifetime was the language of Academia in Europe. Latin was also the official language of the Roman Catholic Church and of Poland's royal court, and thus all of Copernicus' correspondence with the Church and with Polish leaders was in Latin. Like the rest of his family, he was a 3rd Order Dominican.
The Canon Law was the body of Laws and Regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (Church leadership), for the government of a Christian organization of church and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church (both Latin Church and Eastern Catholic Churches), the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches and the individual national churches within the Anglican Communion.
The way that such Law is legislated, interpreted and a times adjudicated varies widely among these 3 bodies of Churches. In all 3 traditions, a Canon was originally a Rule adopted by a Church Council; these Canons formed the foundation of Canon Law.
Copernicus received his doctorate in Canon Law at the University of Padua, Italy, 1501. He remained there until summer 1503. In 1504-12 he made numerous journeys as part of his uncle's retinue. His administrative and economic duties did not distract Copernicus, in 1512-15, from intense observational activity. The results of his observations of Mars and Saturn in this period, and especially a series of 4 observations of the Sun made in 1515, led to the discovery of the variability of Earth's eccentricity and of the movement of the solar apogee in relation to the fixed stars, which in 1515-19 prompted his first revisions of certain assumptions of his system. During 1516-21, he lived at OlszTyn (AllenStein) Castle as an economic administrator. When Olsztyn was besieged by the Teutonic Knights during the Polish- Teutonic War, Copernicus directed the defense of OlszTyn and Warmia by Royal polish forces. He also represented the Polish side in the ensuing peace negotiations.
In his younger days, Copernicus as a Physician had treated his uncle, brother and other chapter members. In later years he was called upon to attend the elderly bishops.
In the spring of 1541, Duke Albert summoned Copernicus to KonigsBerg to attend thr Duke's counselor George Von KunHeim, who had fallen seriously ill, and from the Prussian doctors seemed unable to do anything. He went willingly. The Chapter gave Copernicus permission to go, as it wished to remain in good terms with the Duke, despite his Lutheran faith. In about a month the patient recovered. He returned to FromBork and for a time he continued to receive reports on Von KunHeim's condition, and to send him medical advice by letter. Throughout this period of his life, Copernicus continued making astronomical observations and calculations, but only as his other responsibilities permitted and never in a professional capacity.
Towards the close of 1542, Copernicus was seized with apoplexy and paralysis, and he died at age of 70. Legend says that he was presented with the final printed pages of his 'De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium' on the very day that he died, allowing him to take farewell of his life's work. He is reputed to have awoken from a stroke-induced coma, looked at his book, and then died peacefully.
Copernicus received his doctorate in Canon Law at the University of Padua, Italy, 1501. He remained there until summer 1503. In 1504-12 he made numerous journeys as part of his uncle's retinue. His administrative and economic duties did not distract Copernicus, in 1512-15, from intense observational activity. The results of his observations of Mars and Saturn in this period, and especially a series of 4 observations of the Sun made in 1515, led to the discovery of the variability of Earth's eccentricity and of the movement of the solar apogee in relation to the fixed stars, which in 1515-19 prompted his first revisions of certain assumptions of his system. During 1516-21, he lived at OlszTyn (AllenStein) Castle as an economic administrator. When Olsztyn was besieged by the Teutonic Knights during the Polish- Teutonic War, Copernicus directed the defense of OlszTyn and Warmia by Royal polish forces. He also represented the Polish side in the ensuing peace negotiations.
In his younger days, Copernicus as a Physician had treated his uncle, brother and other chapter members. In later years he was called upon to attend the elderly bishops.
In the spring of 1541, Duke Albert summoned Copernicus to KonigsBerg to attend thr Duke's counselor George Von KunHeim, who had fallen seriously ill, and from the Prussian doctors seemed unable to do anything. He went willingly. The Chapter gave Copernicus permission to go, as it wished to remain in good terms with the Duke, despite his Lutheran faith. In about a month the patient recovered. He returned to FromBork and for a time he continued to receive reports on Von KunHeim's condition, and to send him medical advice by letter. Throughout this period of his life, Copernicus continued making astronomical observations and calculations, but only as his other responsibilities permitted and never in a professional capacity.
Towards the close of 1542, Copernicus was seized with apoplexy and paralysis, and he died at age of 70. Legend says that he was presented with the final printed pages of his 'De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium' on the very day that he died, allowing him to take farewell of his life's work. He is reputed to have awoken from a stroke-induced coma, looked at his book, and then died peacefully.
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