Nikolaus von Kues

Nikolaus von Kues  born  Nikolaus Chrifftz. His father was a trader of wine.

He began his studies with 15 in Heidelgerg and in Padua. He studied Astronomy, Mathematic, Medicine, physics, philosophy. He began studies of theology in Köln at the age of 22.

He began a church career, which brought him into the top management of the church: with 26 he became a dekan at the Florinstift in Koblenz, then a rehearses secretary of the archbishop of Trier from cathedral May field (1435-1445), with 29  he authorized persons on the council of Basel (1432-1437), he was appopinted by his teacher, cardinal Caesarini, as the chairman of the "German nation on the Basler council" .

In the Schisma with the boehmischen Hussiten, a reunification of Prague succeeded with Rome to it temporarily. With Caesarini he undertook in 1437 a successful travel to Konstantinopel. 1438-48 he was sent by the Pope to the german Empire.

1450-52 he undertook a travel to Germany, in order to reform church and monasteries. One of his requests was the promotion of the faith knowledge in the people (later taken up by the Reformation). We can see it with his translation of "Pater noster" and "ten Orders" in the people´s language.In Prussia he smoothed disputes between the German Princes and the Cities.

Nikolaus was a friend of one Italian cartographer.He concentrated himself intensively in mathematics and astronomy and innovated in the area of the medicine. The last six years of his life he was generalvicar and Curiencardinal counceller of Pius II with a reform of the clerus and the general church.

On August, the 11th 1464 he died in Todi, Umbrien. His grave is in the church S. Pietro in vincoli in Rome. Many buildings, among them in the special one and also schools as for instance the Cusanus High School in Wittlich or the Nikolaus of Kues High School in his hometown Bernkastel Kues, carry today his name.