View source for Biography:Christian of Prachatice

{{Infobox scientist
| name = Christian of Prachatice
| image = Cerny, Venceslav - Kristan z Prachatic navstevou mistra Jana Husi.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = 
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = before 1370
| birth_place = Prachatice 
| other_names = Křišťan z Prachatic; Cristannus de Prachaticz
| death_date = 4 September 1439
| death_place = [[Place:Prague|Prague]]
| death_cause = 
| nationality = [[Place:Czech Republic|Czech]]
| alma_mater = [[Organization:Charles University|Charles University]]
| known_for = 
| religion = 
| field = {{hlist|[[Astronomy:Astronomy|astronomy]] |[[Mathematics|mathematics]] |[[Medicine:Medicine|medicine]]}}
| influences =
| influenced =
}}

'''Christian of Prachatice''' ({{lang-cz|Křišťan z Prachatic}}) (1360–1368, Prachatice, [[History:Kingdom of Bohemia|Kingdom of Bohemia]] – 4 September 1439, [[Place:Prague|Prague]], Kingdom of Bohemia) was a medieval [[Place:Bohemia|Bohemia]]n [[Astronomy:Astronomer|astronomer]], [[Biography:Mathematician|mathematician]] and former Catholic priest who converted to the Hussite movement. He was the author of several books about [[Medicine:Medicine|medicine]] and herbs, and contributed to the field of [[Astronomy:Astronomy|astronomy]] with many papers and data recordings.

==Biography==
Christian of Prachatice was born in the 1360s, perhaps 1366<ref>Bohuslav Havránek, et al, ''Výbor české literatury doby husitské'', vol. 2 (Prague: ČSAV, 1964)[http://www.ucl.cas.cz/edicee/?expand=/antologie/zliteratury/VZCL2]</ref> or 1368.<ref>''Die deutsche Literatur der Mittelalters: Verfasserlexikon'', vol. 1 (Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften)</ref> In 1386 he matriculated at [[Organization:Charles University|Charles University]], where he earned a bachelor's degree two years later and a master's degree in liberal arts in 1390.

He later taught at the university and counted [[Biography:Jan Hus|Jan Hus]] among his students.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.damals.de/de/16/%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%C5%BEVerteidige-die-Wahrheit-bis-zum-Tode%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%C5%93.html?issue=170442&aid=170420&cp=1&action=showDetails|title = "Verteidige die Wahrheit bis zum Tode"|date = 21 February 2006}}</ref> In 1403 he served as dean of the Faculty of Arts and 1405 as [[Social:Rector (academia)|rector]] of the university.  In 1405 he was appointed pastor of The Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Prague's Old Town; it is not known where he was ordained. Together with Johannes Cardinalis von Bergreichenstein, he attended the Council of Pisa in 1409.

In 1415 he defended Jan Hus at the Council of Constance. Returning to Prague, he served as dean of the Faculty of Philosophy from 1417. Ten years later, in 1427, he was forced to flee from the radical Hussites. He returned two years later and in 1434 he converted back to Catholicism was once again elected rector.

Christian of Prachitice died on 4 September 1439, a victim of the [[Medicine:Plague (disease)|plague]] epidemic.

== Writings ==
Christian of Prachatice produced numerous treatises, primarily in the fields of astronomy, mathematics, and medicine. His theological writings survive only in a few fragments.<ref>Two appear in František Palacký, ''Documenta Mag. Joannis Hus'' (Prague: F. Tempsky, 1869), 669-73.</ref>

His works survive in manuscript copies at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=j8Ly_3FnXtYC&dq=%22Christian+von+Prachatitz%22&pg=PA755 Handschriftenverzeichnis der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek]</ref> the library of Saint Peter's Abbey, Salzburg,<ref>http://jordanus.org/cgi-bin/iccmsm-search.pl?sprache=en&datenbank=iccmsm&ausgabe=dkurz&ausdateiformat=&listpos=0&listen=keine&listlet=keiner&fn=t52a56.f&fi=Christian+von+Prachatitz {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and the Königsberg State and University Library,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.handschriftencensus.de/13942|title=Handschriftencensus &#124; Königsberg, Staats- und Universitätsbibl., Hs. 528}}</ref> as well as the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.<ref>See, for example, [http://brbl-dl.library.yale.edu/vufind/Record/4040549 Mellon MS 9], a 15th-century manuscript containing works by Christian of Prachatice</ref>

===Latin===
* ''De composicione astrolabii'', on the composition of the astrolabe;  
* ''De utilitate (usu) astrolabii'', on the use of the astrolabe;<ref>Alena Hadravová and Petr Hadrava, ''Stavba a užití astrolábu'' (Prague: Filosofia, 2001).</ref> 
* ''Regula ad fixanda festa mobilia'';
* ''Algorismus prosaycus'', on translating [[Roman numerals]] into [[Arabic numerals]];<ref>Sigalová, Zuzana. ''Algorismus prosaycus = Základy aritmetiky''. Prague: OIKOYMENH, 1999</ref> 
* ''Computus chirometralis'', an aid to counting on fingers;
* ''Antidotar'';
* ''Herbularium'', an [[Biology:Herbal|herbal]];
* ''De sanguinis minucione'', treatise on bloodletting.<ref>Hana Floriánová-Miškovská, ''O pouštění krve = De sanguinis minucione'' (Prague: OIKOYMENH, 1999).</ref>

===Czech===
* ''Lékařské knížky'';<ref>Zdeňka Tichá, ''Lékařské knížky Mistra Křišťana z Prachatic'' (Prague: Avicenum, 1975).</ref> 
* ''Knihy o mocech rozličného kořenie'', an [[Biology:Herbal|herbal]].

===German===
* ''Theriak-Pest-Traktat''; 
* ''Arzneibüchlein des Magisters Christian von Prachatitz''.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{in lang|cs}}[http://www.math.muni.cz/math/biografie/kristan_z_prachatic.html MacTutor Entry]
* {{in lang|cs}}[http://www.eldar.cz/archeoas/matematikove/kristan.html Extensive Biography]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian of Prachatice}}
[[Category:14th-century mathematicians]]
[[Category:15th-century mathematicians]]

{{Sourceattribution|Christian of Prachatice}}