Georg Agricola
Georg (or Georgius) Agricola (March 24, 1490 - November 21, 1555) wasGerman scholarmanscience. Known as "the fathermineralogy", he was born at GlauchauSaxony. His real name was Georg Bauer; Agricola isLatinised versionhis name, Bauer meaning peasant.Gifted withprecocious intellect, he early threw himself intopursuit of"new learning,"such effect that atagetwenty he was appointed Rector extraordinariusGreek atso-called Great SchoolZwickau,made his appearance aswriter on philology. After two years he gave up his appointmentorderpursue his studies at Leipzig, where, as rector, he receivedsupport ofprofessorclassics, Peter Mosellanus (1493-1524),celebrated humanist oftime,whom he had already beencorrespondence. Here he also devoted himself tostudymedicine, physicschemistry. AfterdeathMosellanus he wentItaly from 15241526, where he took his doctor's degree.
He returnedZwickau1527,was chosen as town physician at Joachimsthal,centreminingsmelting works, his object being partly "to fill ingaps inarthealing," partlytest what had been written about mineralogy by careful observationores andmethodstheir treatment. His thorough groundingphilologyphilosophy had accustomed himsystematic thinking,this enabled himconstruct outhis studiesobservationsmineralslogical system which he beganpublish1528. Agricola's dialogue Bermannus, sive de re metallica dialogus, (1530)first attemptreducescientific orderknowledge won by practical work, brought Agricola into notice;contained an approving letter from Erasmus atbeginning ofbook.
In 1530 Prince MauriceSaxony appointed him historiographeran annual allowance,he migratedChemnitz,centre ofmining industry,orderwidenrangehis observations. The citizens showed their appreciationhis learning by appointing him town physician1533. In that year, he publishedbook about GreekRoman weightsmeasures, De Mensuis et Ponderibus
He was also elected burgomasterChemnitz. His popularity was, however, short-lived. Chemnitz wasviolent centre ofProtestant movement, while Agricola never waveredhis allegiance toold religion;he was forcedresign his office. He now lived apart fromcontentious movements oftime, devoting himself whollylearning. His chief interest was stillmineralogy; but he occupied himself alsomedical, mathematical, theologicalhistorical subjects, his chief historical work beingDominatores Saxoniciprima origine ad hanc aetatem, published at Freiberg. In 1544 he publishedDe ortu et causis subterraneorum,which he laidfirst foundations ofphysical geology,criticizedtheories ofancients. In 1545 followedDe natura eorum quae effluunt e terra;1546De veteribus et novis metallis,comprehensive account ofdiscoveryoccurrenceminerals;1548De animantibus subterraneis;intwo following yearsnumbersmaller works onmetals. His most famous work,De re metallica libri xii, was published1556, though apparently finished several years before, sincededication toelectorhis brotherdated 1550. It iscompletesystematic treatise on miningmetallurgy, illustratedmany fine and interesting woodcutscontaining,an appendix,German equivalents fortechnical terms used inLatin text. Itremainedstandard work,marks its author as one ofmost accomplished chemistshis time. Believingblack rock ofSchlossberg at Stolpen to besame as Pliny's basalt, he applied this nameit,thus originatedpetrological term which has been permanently incorporated invocabularyscience.
In spite ofearly proof that Agricola had given oftolerancehis own religious attitude, he was not suffered to end his dayspeace. He remained toendstaunch Catholic, though all Chemnitz had gone over toLutheran creed;itsaid that his life was ended byfitapoplexy brought on byheated discussion withProtestant divine. He died at Chemnitz on21stNovember 1555, and so violent wastheological feeling against him, that he was not sufferedrest intownwhich he had added lustre. Amidst hostile demonstrations he was carried to Zeitz, seven miles from Chemnitz,there buried.
De Re Metallicaconsideredclassic document ofdawnmetallurgy, unsurpassedtwo centuries. 1n 1912,Mining Magazine (London) published an English translation. The translation was made by an American mining engineerhis wife;engineer being Herbert Hoover, nowadays better knownhis later career asPresident ofUnited States.
Original text from1911 encyclopedia,an additional note aboutHoover translation
