Nicolaus Reimers
A self-taught astronomer from a peasant background who dared to challenge Tycho Brahe and devised his own model of the cosmos.
1551–1600 (age 49)·German astronomer and mathematician·Birthday: February 2
Biography
Nicolaus Reimers rose from humble origins as a swineherd to become Imperial Mathematician to Emperor Rudolf II, a trajectory as unlikely as the cosmic theories he produced. Largely self-educated, his sharp mind earned him a position with the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, a relationship that soured into one of history's most bitter scientific feuds. Reimers, publishing under the Latinized name Ursus, developed his own geo-heliocentric system, a rival to Tycho's, and accused his former patron of plagiarism. The controversy drew in a young Johannes Kepler and highlighted the fiercely competitive scramble to explain the heavens in the wake of Copernicus. Reimers's story is a testament to the turbulent, personal clashes that fueled the Scientific Revolution.
#1 When Nicolaus Was Born
The biggest hits of 1551
Nicolaus's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1551Born
1556Started school
1564Became a teenager
1567Could drive
1569Could vote
1572Turned 21
1581Turned 30
1591Turned 40
1600Died at 49
Key Achievements
- Appointed Imperial Mathematician to Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II in Prague.
- Developed his own geo-heliocentric astronomical model, detailed in his work 'Fundamentum Astronomicum'.
- Authored a controversial treatise that accused Tycho Brahe of plagiarizing his cosmological system.
- Created improved astronomical instruments and published tables for calculating planetary positions.
Did You Know?
His surname, 'Bär', means 'bear' in German, which he Latinized to 'Ursus'.
He started his working life as a swineherd and was largely self-taught in mathematics.
The feud between Reimers (Ursus) and Tycho Brahe involved a young Johannes Kepler, who initially defended Ursus.
“The heavens are a book written in geometry, and I have taught myself to read it.”
