Stan J Klimas (talk | contribs) →Personal life: - discusssion on the year of birth |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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Cunitz was born in [[Wołów|Wohlau]]<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blaeu_1645_-_Nova_totius_Germani%C3%A6_descriptio.jpg Locations during her life on Map 1645 Silesia]</ref> |
Cunitz was born in [[Wołów|Wohlau (Wołów)]]<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blaeu_1645_-_Nova_totius_Germani%C3%A6_descriptio.jpg Locations during her life on Map 1645 Silesia]</ref> as the eldest daughter of Dr. Heinrich Cunitz<ref>[[:de:Heinrich Cunitz]]</ref> and his wife Maria, the daughter of Liegnitz-Brieger councilman Anton Scholtz<ref>[[:de:Anton Scholtz]]</ref>. The family eventually moved to [[Schweidnitz]] (Świdnica). At an early age Maria married the jurist David von Gerstmann. After his death she married Elias Kretzschmeyer a Leonibus<ref>[[:de:Elias von Löwen]]</ref> of [[Pitschen]] (Byczyna). Maria became a widow in 1661, and died at Pitschen in 1664. Her most significant work was composed on the estate of the [[Cistercian convent]] of [[Ołobok]] near [[Kalisz]], where, with her husband, she had taken refuge at the outbreak of the [[Thirty Years' War]]. The work was dedicated to Emperor [[Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand III]]. |
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The year of birth of Maria is somewhat uncertain. No birth, baptism or similar documents have ever been located. The year was speculated about in the first major German-language publication about Maria Cunitz of 1798.<ref>Johann Ephraim Scheibel: Nachrichten von der Frau von Lewen geb. Cunitzin. In: Astronomische Bibliographie, der 3. Abteilung, zweite Fortsetzung, Schriften aus dem siebzehnten Jahrhundert von 1631 bis 1650 aus der Reihe Einleitung zur mathematischen Bücherkenntnis. Nr. 20, Breslau 1798, pages 361-378.</ref>. Dr. Paul Knötel appears to be the first to have given the year 1604 as the year of Maria's birth.<ref>Paul Knötel: Maria Cunitia. In: Friedrich Andreae (Hrsg.): Schlesier des 17. bis 19. Jahrhunderts, Schlesische Lebensbilder. Nr. 3, Breslau 1928, pages 61-65.</ref> Other authors later appear to have repeated the same year. The proof that Maria was actually born in 1610 is furnished by an anthology with congratulation poems on her first wedding, in connection with a letter of Elias A Leonibus to [[Johannes Hevelius]] from the year 1651, found recently by Dr. Ingrid Guentherodt.<ref>Ingrid Guentherodt: Maria Cunitia. Urania propitia; Intendiertes, erwartetes und tatsächliches Lesepublikum einer Astronomin des 17. Jh.. In: Daphnis. Zeitschrift für mittlere deutsche Literatur. Nr. 20, 1991, pages 311-353.</ref><ref>Ingrid Guentherodt: Frühe Spuren von Maria Cunitia und Daniel Czepko in Schweidnitz 1623. In: Daphnis. Zeitschrift für mittlere deutsche Literatur. Nr. 20, 1991, pages 547-584.</ref> |
The year of birth of Maria is somewhat uncertain. No birth, baptism or similar documents have ever been located. The year was speculated about in the first major German-language publication about Maria Cunitz of 1798.<ref>Johann Ephraim Scheibel: Nachrichten von der Frau von Lewen geb. Cunitzin. In: Astronomische Bibliographie, der 3. Abteilung, zweite Fortsetzung, Schriften aus dem siebzehnten Jahrhundert von 1631 bis 1650 aus der Reihe Einleitung zur mathematischen Bücherkenntnis. Nr. 20, Breslau 1798, pages 361-378.</ref>. Dr. Paul Knötel appears to be the first to have given the year 1604 as the year of Maria's birth.<ref>Paul Knötel: Maria Cunitia. In: Friedrich Andreae (Hrsg.): Schlesier des 17. bis 19. Jahrhunderts, Schlesische Lebensbilder. Nr. 3, Breslau 1928, pages 61-65.</ref> Other authors later appear to have repeated the same year. The proof that Maria was actually born in 1610 is furnished by an anthology with congratulation poems on her first wedding, in connection with a letter of Elias A Leonibus to [[Johannes Hevelius]] from the year 1651, found recently by Dr. Ingrid Guentherodt.<ref>Ingrid Guentherodt: Maria Cunitia. Urania propitia; Intendiertes, erwartetes und tatsächliches Lesepublikum einer Astronomin des 17. Jh.. In: Daphnis. Zeitschrift für mittlere deutsche Literatur. Nr. 20, 1991, pages 311-353.</ref><ref>Ingrid Guentherodt: Frühe Spuren von Maria Cunitia und Daniel Czepko in Schweidnitz 1623. In: Daphnis. Zeitschrift für mittlere deutsche Literatur. Nr. 20, 1991, pages 547-584.</ref> |
Revision as of 02:52, 9 August 2009
Maria Cunitz or Maria Cunitia[1][2] (other versions of surname include: Cunicia, Cunitzin[3], Kunic, Cunitiae, Kunicia, Kunicka[4]) (1610 – August 22, 1664) was an accomplished astronomer from Silesia, and one of the most notable female astronomers of the modern era. She authored a book Urania propitia, in which she provided new tables, new ephemera, and a more elegant solution to "Kepler's Problem," which involves the maximum density of spheres in a three-dimensional space. The Cunitz crater on Venus is named after her. The minor planet 12624 Mariacunitia is named in her honour.[5]
Personal life
Cunitz was born in Wohlau (Wołów)[6] as the eldest daughter of Dr. Heinrich Cunitz[7] and his wife Maria, the daughter of Liegnitz-Brieger councilman Anton Scholtz[8]. The family eventually moved to Schweidnitz (Świdnica). At an early age Maria married the jurist David von Gerstmann. After his death she married Elias Kretzschmeyer a Leonibus[9] of Pitschen (Byczyna). Maria became a widow in 1661, and died at Pitschen in 1664. Her most significant work was composed on the estate of the Cistercian convent of Ołobok near Kalisz, where, with her husband, she had taken refuge at the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War. The work was dedicated to Emperor Ferdinand III.
The year of birth of Maria is somewhat uncertain. No birth, baptism or similar documents have ever been located. The year was speculated about in the first major German-language publication about Maria Cunitz of 1798.[10]. Dr. Paul Knötel appears to be the first to have given the year 1604 as the year of Maria's birth.[11] Other authors later appear to have repeated the same year. The proof that Maria was actually born in 1610 is furnished by an anthology with congratulation poems on her first wedding, in connection with a letter of Elias A Leonibus to Johannes Hevelius from the year 1651, found recently by Dr. Ingrid Guentherodt.[12][13]
Accomplishments
The publication of the book Urania propitia (Oels-Silesia, 1650) gained Cunitz a European reputation. Significantly for a technical publication of that period, it was written both in Latin and German (stating that it was to increase the accessibility to her work). Urania propitia was a a simplification of the Rudolphine Tables. It provided new tables, new ephemera, and a more elegant solution to "Kepler's Problem," which involves the maximum density of spheres in a three-dimensional space.
Because of her many talents and accomplishments, Cunitz was called the "Silesian Pallas". In his 1727 book Educated Silesian Women and Female Poets, Johan Kaspar Elberti wrote that
(Maria) Cunicia or Cunitzin was the daughter of the famous Henrici Cunitii. She was a well-educated woman, like a queen among the Silesian womanhood. She was able to converse in 7 languages, German, Italian, French, Polish, Latin, Greek and Hebrew, was an experienced musician and an accomplished painter. She was a dedicated astrologist and especially enjoyed astronomical problems.
Nationality
Maria Cunitia is usually characterized as Silesian, for example in Encyclopedia Britanica[14]. As attested by her writing, she was from the German-language culture and has been described as German[15] even though nationality did not play as significant a role in determining person's identity during the time of her life as it does today.
She is described as Polish by some publications.[4][16] One reference[4] considers her to be the first Polish woman astronomer.
References
- ^ Cunitz, Maria. Urania propitia, sive Tabulæ Astronomicæ mirè faciles, vim hypothesium physicarum à Kepplero proditarum complexae; facillimo calculandi compendio, sine ullâ logarithmorum mentione paenomenis satisfacientes; Quarum usum pro tempore praesente, exacto et futuro succincte praescriptum cum artis cultoribus communicat Maria Cunitia. Das ist: Newe und Langgewünschete, leichte Astronomische Tabelln, etc.", Oels, Silesia,1650.
- ^ Reproduction of the signature of Maria Cunitia
- ^ Zedler's Universallexikon, Halle-Leipzig, 1737, Bd. 15, Sp. 2134f, Stichwort: Kunitzin [1]
- ^ a b c Storm Dunlop, Michèle Gerbaldi, "Stargazers: the contribution of amateurs to astronomy", Springer-Verlag, 1988, pg. 40
- ^ http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/lists/NumberedMPs010001.html
- ^ Locations during her life on Map 1645 Silesia
- ^ de:Heinrich Cunitz
- ^ de:Anton Scholtz
- ^ de:Elias von Löwen
- ^ Johann Ephraim Scheibel: Nachrichten von der Frau von Lewen geb. Cunitzin. In: Astronomische Bibliographie, der 3. Abteilung, zweite Fortsetzung, Schriften aus dem siebzehnten Jahrhundert von 1631 bis 1650 aus der Reihe Einleitung zur mathematischen Bücherkenntnis. Nr. 20, Breslau 1798, pages 361-378.
- ^ Paul Knötel: Maria Cunitia. In: Friedrich Andreae (Hrsg.): Schlesier des 17. bis 19. Jahrhunderts, Schlesische Lebensbilder. Nr. 3, Breslau 1928, pages 61-65.
- ^ Ingrid Guentherodt: Maria Cunitia. Urania propitia; Intendiertes, erwartetes und tatsächliches Lesepublikum einer Astronomin des 17. Jh.. In: Daphnis. Zeitschrift für mittlere deutsche Literatur. Nr. 20, 1991, pages 311-353.
- ^ Ingrid Guentherodt: Frühe Spuren von Maria Cunitia und Daniel Czepko in Schweidnitz 1623. In: Daphnis. Zeitschrift für mittlere deutsche Literatur. Nr. 20, 1991, pages 547-584.
- ^ Encyclopedia Britannica, the edition of 1911
- ^ Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie, Joy Dorothy Harvey, "The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: Pioneering Lives from Ancient Times to the Mid-20th Century", Routledge, 2000, pg. 309, [2]
- ^ Margaret Alic, "Hypatia's heritage: a history of women in science from antiquity through the nineteenth century", Beacon Press, 1986, pg. 120
External links
- Digital-Library of Wroclaw
- Web page on Maria Cunitz at University of Florida
- O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Maria Cunitz", MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, University of St Andrews
- Adolf Schimmelpfennig (1876), "Cunitz, Maria", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 4, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, p. 641
- Zedler Zedler's Universallexikon, Bd. 15, Sp. 2134f, Stichwort: Kunitzin