Heinrich Rantzau or Ranzow (Ranzovius) (11 March 1526 – 31 December 1598) was a German humanist writer and statesman, a prolific astrologer and an associate of

Tycho Brahe Tycho Brahe ( ; born Tyge Ottesen Brahe; generally called Tycho (14 December 154624 October 1601) was a Danish astronomer, known for his comprehensive astronomical observations, generally considered to be the most accurate of his time. He was ...

. He was son of

Johan Rantzau Johan (also Johann) Rantzau (12 November 1492 – 12 December 1565) was a German- Danish general and statesman known for his role in the Count's Feud. His military leadership ensured the succession of Christian III to the throne, which br ...

. He was

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of the Danish royal share in the

Duchy of Holstein The Duchy of Holstein (german: Herzogtum Holstein, da, Hertugdømmet Holsten) was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It originated when King Christian I of Denmark had his ...

, a rich man and celebrated book collector. Rantzau is perhaps best remembered as a patron of scholars. His own ''Tractatus astrologicus de genethliacorum thematum'' appeared in 1597, and went through five editions by 1615. In his own time, he was regarded as a generous supporter of artists and writers in

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...

, many of whom he engaged to write memorials of his father. Rantzau was also a successful merchant with trading interests in the east-west trade through

Husum Husum (, frr, Hüsem) is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The town was the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who coined the epithet "the grey town by the sea". It is also the home of ...

and Lübeck. Rantzau was awarded the Danish

Order of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant ( da, Elefantordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutiona ...

in 1580 by King Frederick II of Denmark. His oldest son

Breide Rantzau Breide Rantzau (13 October 1556 10 January 1618) was a German nobleman in Denmark-Norway, Danish-Norwegian service. He served as ''stadtholder'' of Copenhagen from 1602. Early life He was born on 13 October 1556 at Segeberg, the son of Heinrich Ra ...

was a councillor of the Danish realm, and a younger son,

Gert Rantzau Gert or Gerhard Rantzau (1558-1627) was a German nobleman in Danish service, soldier and Captain of the Palace and Castle of Kronborg and Flensburg. He was a son of Heinrich Rantzau, the King of Denmark's Lieutenant in Holstein. His older brothe ...

, was Captain of the castles of

Kronborg Kronborg is a castle and stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. Immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet'', Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe and was inscribed on the UN ...

and Flensburg.David Scott Gehring, ''Diplomatic Intelligence on the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark during the Reigns of Elizabeth I and James VI: Three Treatises'', Camden Fifth Series, 49 (Cambridge, 2016), pp. 164, 168. He was the great-uncle of

Josias von Rantzau Josias Rantzau (Bothkamp, near Kiel, 18 October 1609 – Paris, 14 September 1650) was a Danish military leader and Marshal of France. Josias was the grandson of Paul, the youngest son of Johann Rantzau. He married his Cousin Hedwig Margarethe ...

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

References

External links

Peter Zeeberg: ''Heinrich Rantzau (1526-98) and his humanist collaborators - The examples of Reiner Reineccius
and Georg Ludwig Froben">Reiner Reineccius">Peter Zeeberg: ''Heinrich Rantzau (1526-98) and his humanist collaborators - The examples of Reiner Reineccius
and Georg Ludwig Froben.'']

Editions

* Felgentreu, Fritz (ed., trans.). ''Heinrich Rantzau (Christianus Cilicius Cimber). Belli Dithmarsici vera descriptio: Wahre Beschreibung des Dithmarscher Krieges'' (Schleswig: Landesarchiv Schleswig-Holstein, 2009) (Veröffentlichungen des Landesarchivs Schleswig-Holstein, 86). {{DEFAULTSORT:Rantzau, Heinrich 1526 births 1598 deaths People from Steinburg German astrologers German astrological writers German Renaissance humanists German male writers

Heinrich Heinrich may refer to: People * Heinrich (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Heinrich (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Hetty (given name), a given name (including a list of peo ...