Martin Waldseemüller

Martin Waldseemüller (1470, March 16th 1520) known as Hilacomilus or Hylacomylus , is a German cartographer of the Renaissance.

Life

He is born with Freiburg in Germany in 1470 and passes his childhood on the Lac of Constancy. He initiates himself with printing works in the workshop of his uncle installed with Basle.
The register of the University of Freiburg notes the presence of " Martinus Walzenmüller" December 7th, 1490, but on the other hand nothing indicates that it made its studies in this university. It is however obvious that it studies the Théologie and that he dedicates himself being studied of the Géographie and of the Cartographie.
Entered the orders, it is found integrated into the Vosgean Gymnase (Gymnasium Vosagense) of the Saint-Dié-of-Vosges as a Cartographe.

Invention of the America

It publishes on April 25th, 1507 in Cosmographiæ Introductio (complete Title: Introduction to cosmography with some elements of geometry and astronomy necessary to the intelligence of this science, as well as the four voyages of Amerigo Vespucci and reproduction of the whole world as well in spherical projection as in plane surface, including the areas as Ptolémée was unaware of and who were discovered only recently… ) a known chart under the name of Planisphere of Waldseemüller, where it uses for the first time the word America drawn from the first name of Amerigo Vespucci to indicate the southern part of the American continent , rather than the name of Colomb. The historians wondered why it had made this choice and it seems simply that the voyages of Vespucci profited at the time of a greater notoriety. On the planisphere of 1507, current North America is indicated only by the mention Terra vuida incognita (unknown deserted ground). Of 1507 with 1511, it works with his/her friend Mathias Ringmann (1482 - 1511, known also under the name of Philesius) with the new Latin edition of the Geographia of Ptolémée, under the patronage of Rene II duke of Lorraine. While Ringmann corrects the texts of the edition of Ptolémée, Waldseemüller deals with the corresponding charts and supplements them of 20 modern charts. This work can be regarded as the first modern atlas.

In one of these charts, Tabula Ground Nove , it tries to correct its “error” to have allotted to Vespucci the discoveries of Colomb; on the South America it registers “This ground and the adjacent islands were discovered by Colomb of Genoa on behalf of the sovereigns of Castille. ”.

From 1514, it becomes Chanoine of Saint-Dié.

Random links: