People/scientist, writer

Georgius Agricola (Georg Bauer)

Georgius Agricola (Georg Bauer) (1494–1555), scientist, writer, from Germany. Linked to silver.

The lucky break

Settled as town physician at Joachimsthal, a rich silver mining centre, where he learned mineralogy and mining from local officials. His book Bermannus made him famous.1

The downfall

Staying Catholic while Chemnitz turned Protestant brought him into sharp conflict with the town. He was buried at Zeitz.1

Legacy

Author of De re metallica (Basel 1556), a standard work on mining and smelting. He was mayor of Chemnitz four times.1

Story cards

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Where next

People

InspiredAbraham Gottlob WernerAgricola's De re metallica came in 1556. Werner taught mining at Freiberg from 1775.1Partner ofJohann MathesiusTwo Joachimsthal men: the pastor and the town doctor.1

Mines

Worked atJachymov minesWriting about mines began in a Bohemian silver town where he was town doctor.1

Sources

  1. Agricola, Georgius Neue Deutsche Biographie / Deutsche Biographie (Bavarian Academy of Sciences, Bavarian State Library)

Pictures on this page: Abraham Gottlob Werner.jpg, Christian Leberecht Vogel (Public domain).

From the Prospector Trails mining history dataset: each fact links to the source it was checked against. Figures are as the source gives them, in the money of their day. Not investment advice.

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Cover photos from Wikimedia Commons: Cerro Rico over Potosí by Jbmurray, CC BY-SA 4.0. Pictures: Potosi, Bolivia, NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (Public domain (NASA media, no copyright)); Dolcoath tin mine, Camborne, Cornwall: miners in a mine shaft, standing on wooden platforms connected by ladders. Photograph by J. C. Burrow, 1890/1910., Burrow, J. C., 1852-1914 (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Kimberley, South Africa: miners and washing gear at the Bultfontein diamond mine. Woodburytype, 1888, after a photograph by Robert Harris., Harris, Robert, active 1881-1888. (Public Domain Mark 1.0).