Gesner, Conrad

Gesner, Conrad
(1516-1565)
   Swiss scholar who specialized in natural philosophy. Born in Zurich, a godson of the Reformer Huldrych Zwingli, he studied theology there and Hebrew at Strasbourg, then studied medicine at Bourges, Paris, and Basel. He worked as professor of Greek at the Protestant academy in Lausanne (1537-1540) and obtained his medical doctorate in 1541. Next he studied botany at Montpellier and then settled in Basel to practice medicine, though he continued to travel widely in pursuit of knowledge about plants and animals. Gesner's massive Historia animalium (1551-1558) was an influential encyclopedia of knowledge about natural history. Based on his own observations and on information sent by other scholars in response to his inquiries, it challenged the work of the same name by Aristotle, which had been the standard authority since ancient times. His book was alphabetical in arrangement and had numerous illustrations. It reflects the author's love of the out-doors and shows some effort to criticize fabulous accounts drawn from ancient authors: he dismissed descriptions of tritons and sirens as fictions but accepted reports of fabulous creatures like the fishman. Gesner carefully cites his sources, either ancient texts or modern descriptions, and differentiates between what he knew from personal observation and what he accepts on the authority of others. He never completed either this work or a parallel study of plants, though his materials for the latter were published by one of his disciples.

Historical Dictionary of Renaissance. . 2004.

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  • Gesner, Conrad — ▪ Swiss physician and naturalist Introduction Conrad also spelled  Konrad   born March 26, 1516, Zürich died Dec. 13, 1565, Zürich       Swiss physician and naturalist, best known for his systematic compilations of information on animals and… …   Universalium

  • Conrad Gessner — Conrad Gesner (1516 1565), Stich von Conrad Meyer, 1662 Conrad Gesner (* 16. März 1516 in Zürich; † 13. Dezember 1565 ebenda; auch: Konrad Gessner, Konrad Geßner, Conrad Gessner, Conrad Geßner, Conrad von Gesner, Conradus Gesnerus) war ein… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Conrad Gessner — Born March 26, 1516(1516 03 26) Zürich …   Wikipedia

  • Conrad Gesner — Conrad Gessner Pour les articles homonymes, voir Gessner. Portrait de Conrad Gesner Conrad Gessner (aussi connu sous le nom de Konrad von Gesner …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Conrad von Gesner — Johann Conrad Gessner Conrad Gessner Nacimiento 26 de marzo 1516 Zúrich …   Wikipedia Español

  • Conrad Gesner — (1516–1565), Stich von Conrad Meyer, 1662 Conrad Gesner (* 16. März 1516 in Zürich; † 13. Dezember 1565 ebenda; auch: Konrad Gessner, Konrad Geßner, Conrad Gessner, Conrad Geßner, Conrad von Gesner, Conradus Gesnerus) war ein Schweizer Arzt,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gesner — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Abraham Gesner (1797–1864), kanadischer Arzt und Geologe Conrad Gesner (1516–1565), schweizerischer Naturforscher und Polyhistor Johann Matthias Gesner (1691–1761), deutscher Pädagoge und klassischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Conrad — ist ein männlicher Vorname und ein Familienname. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Herkunft und Bedeutung 2 Bekannte Namensträger 2.1 Vorname 2.2 Zweitname …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gesner — or Gessner is the surname of several people, including:*Conrad Gesner (1516 1565), Swiss naturalist *Johann Matthias Gesner (1691 1761), German classical scholar *Abraham Pineo Gesner (1797 1864), Canadian physician and geologist *Solomon Gessner …   Wikipedia

  • Conrad Gessner — (Konrad Gessner, Conrad von Gesner, Conradus Gesnerus) (26 de marzo de 1516 13 diciembre de 1565) fue un naturalista suizo. Su Historia Animalium en tres volumenes (1555 1558) se considera el principio de la zoología moderna. Nacido y educado en… …   Enciclopedia Universal

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