Rudolph von Langen (1438 or 1439 – December 1519) was a German Catholic

divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...

, who helped introduce

Humanistic 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 ...

ideas to the town of

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. He was born in the village of Everswinkel, near Munster, to an aristocratic family. There is dispute as to his education. According to Hermann Hamelmann, he received his schooling at

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, in the school of

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, together with

Rodolphus Agricola Rodolphus Agricola (; August 28, 1443, or February 17, 1444 – October 27, 1485) was a Dutch humanist of the Northern Low Countries, famous for his knowledge of Latin and Greek. He was an educator, musician, builder of church organs, a poet i ...

, Alexander Hegius, Anton Liber of Soest, Count Maurice von Spielenberg, and Ludwig Dringenberg. However, the

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disputes this. In 1456 he entered the

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, and received the degree of B.A. in 1459, and M.A. in 1460. But before this he was made

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of the cathedral of Munster, and

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of the old cathedral in 1462. He went to Rome in 1466 in connection with the election of a bishop. At Munster he was the centre of literary life, as well as of humanistic efforts. He was surrounded by a group of men of similar tastes. He possessed a good classical library, which he placed at the disposal of others. Hermann von dem Busche, later to become a prominent humanist, was one of his pupils, to whom he imparted a love of classical literature. In 1500, he reformed the cathedral school of Munster into a humanistic institution, patterned after the one at Deventer. The course of instruction was changed, and other masters were called. The school was also indebted to the subrector,

Johannes Murmellius Johannes Murmellius (c. 1480 – 2 October 1517) was a Dutch teacher and humanist, known for numerous textbooks, and his spreading of humanism, particularly in the Prince-Bishopric of Münster. Life He was born in Roermond, and was a pupil of Ale ...

, a leading Dutch humanist, and its flourishing condition and widespread influence, which reached to

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and

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, drew numerous scholars. He died in Munster. The inscription on Langen's tomb there lauds him as the patron of scholars and the friend of the poor.

Published works

Langen wrote a poem about the destruction of

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, which has not been preserved; also a prose work, which was published in Deventer about 1485. In 1486 the first printing office at Munster, belonging to Johann Limberg, printed his poems. In 1493 he published the ''Rosarium beatissimae virginis gloriosissimaeque dei matris Mariae''; about 1494 an

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

Albertus Magnus Albertus Magnus ( 1200 – 15 November 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great, Albert of Swabia, Albert von Bollstadt, or Albert of Cologne, was a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop, considered one of the great ...

; and the ''Horae de sancta cruce'' in 1496. His poetry was not particularly successful.

References

Sources

* cites: ** Hermann Hamelmann, ''Oratio de Rudolf Langio von 1580'' in ''Geschichtliche Werke'', I, pt. II, 1-34: I, pt. III, 15-371 (Munster, 1905–1908) {{DEFAULTSORT:Langen, Rudolph von 1430s births 1519 deaths German Renaissance humanists