Gregorius Agricola

*  1494 Glauchau
† 1555 Chemnitz

Gregorius Agricola was born in 1494 in Glauchau. The scholar studied classical languages from 1514 until 1518 at the University of Leipzig. Agricola first was made deputy head and headmaster of the Ratsschule in Zwickau. He went back to Leipzig in 1522 to study medicine. In 1524, Agricola went to Venice. He returned to Chemnitz and married the widow Anna Meyner in 1527. With his wife, Agricola then settled in the mining town of St. Joachimsthal (today: Jáchymov) and worked as a doctor and apothecary. In 1531, he became the town doctor of Chemnitz and served as burgomaster four times. Agricola died on November 21, 1555, in Chemnitz. Agricola had both, a deep understanding of humanistic values and in-depth knowledge of technical and scientific matters. He is regarded as one of the greatest polymaths who did extensive research in the field of medicine, pharmacy, alchemy, metrology but also in philology and pedagogics.