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Conrad Gessner

File:Conrad_Gesner_by_Tobias_Stimmer2.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Conrad Gessner

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Also known as Konrad Gesner, Conrad Geßner, Conrad von Gesner, Conradus Gesnerus, Conrad Gesner, Gesner, Konrad von Gesner

Swiss physician, bibliographer and naturalist (1516–1565)

OverviewAI-generated

Conrad Gessner (1516–1565) was a Swiss linguist, zoologist, mountaineer, and physician. Born in Zurich, he was educated at the University of Strasbourg, the University of Bourges, and the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier. He served as a professor at the University of Zurich and the University of Lausanne. Gessner’s field of work included botany, and he wrote in Latin. His notable work is the *Bibliotheca universalis*.

He is also associated with the pseudonyms Philiatrus Evonymus, Conradus Bolovesus, Jacobus Carronus, and Philiater Euonymus. Other works attributed to him include *Tesauro di Euonomo Filatro [pseud.] de rimedi secreti*, *De plantis a' divis sanctis' ve nomen habentibvs*, *Sancti Justini philosophi et martyris opera*, *Conradi Gesneri opera botanica ...*, and *Ambrosii Calepini Dictionarium vndecim linguarum ...*. His works are held in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Gessner died of the plague in Zurich in 1565 and was buried at the Grossmünster.

Synthesized by Vinony from 33 facts across 5 sources: Wikidata, Crossref, MusicBrainz, Open Library, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Born
1516
Died
1565
Works
61

Top works

  • A new booke of destillatyon of waters, called the treasure of Evonymvs, containing the wonderful hid secrets of nature, touching the most apt formes to prepare & destill medicines, for the conseruation of helth
  • Fischbuch, das ist, Ein kurtze, doch vollkommne Beschreybung aller Fischen so in dem Meer und süssen Wasseren, Seen, Flüssen, oder anderen Bächen ir Wonung habend
  • Tesauro di Euonomo Filatro [pseud.] de rimedi secreti
  • De plantis a' divis sanctis' ve nomen habentibvs
  • Sancti Justini philosophi et martyris opera

via Open Library + Wikidata

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Gender
male
Citizenship
Switzerland
Place of birth
Zurich
Place of death
Zurich
Occupation
naturalist
Position held
professor
Languages spoken
Latin
Field of work
botany
Image
Conrad Gesner by Tobias Stimmer2.jpg
Show 18 more facts
Commons category
Conrad Gesner
date of birth
1516-03-26
date of death
1565-12-13
manner of death
natural causes
cause of death
plague
place of burial
Grossmünster
pseudonym
Jakob Carronus
Commons Creator page
Conrad Gesner
short name
Conrad Gessner
name in native language
Conrad Gessner
start of work period
1531-01-01
end of work period
1565-01-01
maintained by WikiProject
WikiProject Mathematics
P12749
Rivaz
significant person
Huldrych Zwingli
municipal affiliation of a Swiss national
Zurich
Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

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Encyclopedic overview

Conrad Gessner (/ˈɡɛsnər/; Latin: Conradus Gesnerus; 26 March 1516 – 13 December 1565) was a Swiss physician, naturalist, bibliographer, and philologist. Born into a poor family in Zurich, Switzerland, his father and teachers quickly realised his talents and supported him through university, where he studied classical languages, theology and medicine. He became Zurich's city physician, but was able to spend much of his time on collecting, research and writing. Gessner compiled monumental works on bibliography (Bibliotheca universalis 1545–1549) and zoology (Historia animalium 1551–1558) and was working on a major botanical text at the time of his death from plague at the age of 49. He is regarded as the father of modern scientific bibliography, zoology and botany. He was frequently the first to describe species of plants or animals in Europe, such as the tulip in 1559. A number of plants and animals have been named after him.

Life

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Conrad Gessner” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (5)