Europa Prima Pars Terrae in Forma Virginis

Heinrich Bünting (1545 – 30 December 1606) was a German

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

pastor and theologian. He is best known for his book of woodcut maps titled (Travel book through Holy Scripture) first published in 1581.

Life

Bünting was born in

Hannover, Germany Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest in northern Germany after Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen ...

, in 1545. He studied theology at the

University of Wittenberg Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (), also referred to as MLU, is a public research university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg. It is the largest and oldest university in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. MLU offers German and i ...

graduating in 1569 and became a Protestant pastor in

Lemgo Lemgo (; ) is a university and old Hanseatic League, Hanseatic town in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated between the Teutoburg Forest and the Weser Uplands, 25 km east of Bielefeld and 70 km west of H ...

. He was dismissed in 1575 and moved to Gronau an der Leine. In 1591 he was appointed

superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Building superintendent, a manager, maintenance or repair person, custodian or janitor, especially in the United States; sometimes shortened to "super" *Prison warden or superintendent, a prison administrator *Soprin ...

Goslar Goslar (; Eastphalian dialect, Eastphalian: ''Goslär'') is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the Goslar (district), district of Goslar and is located on the northwestern wikt:slope, slopes of the Harz ...

. When a dispute arose over his teachings in 1600 he was dismissed and retired from the ministry. He spent the rest of his life as a private citizen in Hannover. Bünting died on 30 December 1606.

His collection of woodcut maps, , first published in
Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...
in 1581, was a very popular book in its day. It was reprinted and translated several times. The book provided the most complete summary of biblical geography available and described the
Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...
by following the travels of various notable people from the Old and New Testaments. In addition to conventional maps, the book also contained three figurative maps; the world depicted using a cloverleaf design in honor of Bünting's home city of
Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
, "The pattern of the old world, redolent with civic heraldry, since the clover leaf represented the arms of Hanover..." Cf. Henk A.M. van der Heijden, "Heinrich Büntings Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae, 1581. Ein Kapitel der biblischen Geographie", ''Cartographia Helvetica'' 23 (2001): 5-14, at 10: "Über die Bedeutung dieses Symbols ist man sich nicht ganz im Klaren. ..Aber wie es auch sei, es ist klar, dass das Kleeblatt seit jeher und auch jetzt noch – wenn auch in moderner Form – im Wappen von Hannover vorkommt, was Bünting inspiriert hat, es für seine Weltkarte zu benutzen." Europe in the form of a crowned and robed woman, and Asia as the winged horse
Pegasus Pegasus (; ) is a winged horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a white stallion. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was the brother of Chrysaor, both born from Medusa's blood w ...
.

References

Citations

Sources
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External links

Bünting, Heinrich, 1545-1606
- Jewish National & University Library, The Eran Laor Cartographic Collection
''Itinerarivm sacrae scriptvrae : To gest : Putowání Swatých : Na wssecku Swatau Bibli obogiho Zákona, rozdělené na dwě knihy. Prwní kniha zawíra w sobě ...''
(in Czech translation). .n.: Daniel Adam z Weleslawina, 1592. 831 p. - available online at
University Library in Bratislava Digital Library University Library in Bratislava () is the oldest library in Slovakia. It was founded in 1919 in Bratislava. Today, it is the largest and most visited library in Slovakia and it is a universal state research library. History The library was one ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bunting, Heinrich 1545 births 1606 deaths Clergy from Hanover 16th-century cartographers German cartographers 16th-century Protestant religious leaders Holy Land travellers 16th-century German writers 16th-century German male writers