Jacob Ziegler (c. 1470/71 – August 1549) was a

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...

and

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

from

Landau an der Isar ] Landau an der Isar (, ; Central Bavarian: ''Landa an da Isar'') is the second-largest town in the Lower Bavaria, Lower Bavarian district, or ''Landkreis'', of Dingolfing-Landau, in the state of Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the river Isar, 120 ...

in Duchy of Bavaria, Bavaria. He was an itinerant scholar of geography and

cartographer Cartography (; from , 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and , 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can ...

, who lived a wandering life in Europe. He studied at the

University of Ingolstadt The University of Ingolstadt was founded in 1472 by Louis the Rich, the Duke of Bavaria at the time, and its first Chancellor was the Bishop of Eichstätt. It consisted of four faculties: theology, law, artes liberales and medicine, all of w ...

in the 1490s where he befriended

Conrad Celtes Conrad Celtes (; ; 1 February 1459 – 4 February 1508) was a German Renaissance humanist scholar and poet of the German Renaissance born in Franconia (nowadays part of Bavaria). He led the theatrical performances at the Viennese court and ...

and

Willibald Pirckheimer Willibald Pirckheimer (5 December 1470 – 22 December 1530) was a German Renaissance lawyer, author and Renaissance humanist, a wealthy and prominent figure in Nuremberg in the 16th century, imperial counsellor and a member of the governing City ...

. Then spent some time at the court of

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X (; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political and banking Med ...

before he converted to Protestantism; subsequently his geographical works were placed on the

Index Librorum Prohibitorum The (English: ''Index of Forbidden Books'') was a changing list of publications deemed heretical or contrary to morality by the Sacred Congregation of the Index (a former dicastery of the Roman Curia); Catholics were forbidden to print or re ...

. For a time he taught at Vienna; in his old age, 1545–49, he lived in the house of Wolfgang Salm,

Bishop of Passau The Diocese of Passau (; ) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany that is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.Wolf Huber Wolf Huber ( – 3 June 1553) was an Austria, Austrian- Germany, German Painting, painter, printmaker, and architect, who worked in Passau, Germany for most of his life as a leading member of the Danube school. Life Records show that Huber was b ...

(c. 1485–1553), executed about 1540, when he was about seventy years old, is in the

Kunsthistorisches Museum The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien ( "Vienna Museum of art history, Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts, Vienna") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, i ...

, Vienna. His main geographical treatise, ''Schondia'', was published under the title ''Quae intus continentur Syria, Palestina, Arabia, Aegyptus, Schondia, Holmiae...'' at

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

in 1532. He was also a publisher of maps where he influenced

Gerardus Mercator Gerardus Mercator (; 5 March 1512 – 2 December 1594) was a Flemish people, Flemish geographer, cosmographer and Cartography, cartographer. He is most renowned for creating the Mercator 1569 world map, 1569 world map based on a new Mercator pr ...

, who mentioned Ziegler's maps contained numerous inconsistencies and errors. The Swedish historian

Johannes Messenius Johannes Messenius (1579–1636) was a Sweden, Swedish historian, dramatist and university professor. He was born in the village of Freberga, in Stenby parish in Östergötland, and died in Oulu, in modern-day Finland. Childhood He was the son o ...

claimed that Ziegler served as a professor of mathematics at

Uppsala University Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. Initially fou ...

in 1540. However, this assertion has later been challenged by subsequent scholars, including Johannes Schefferus and Johann Georg Schelhorn.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ziegler, Jacob 1470 births 1549 deaths German scholars History of geography Medieval German geographers 15th-century German scientists 15th-century geographers 16th-century geographers 15th-century German writers 16th-century German writers 16th-century German male writers German Renaissance humanists