Borrow it
Coverart for item
The Resource The astronomer & the witch : Johannes Kepler's fight for his mother, Ulinka Rublack

The astronomer & the witch : Johannes Kepler's fight for his mother, Ulinka Rublack

Creator
Author
Summary
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was one of the most admired astronomers who ever lived and a key figure in the scientific revolution. A defender of Copernicus's sun-centered universe, he famously discovered that planets move in ellipses, and defined the three laws of planetary motion. Perhaps less well known is that in 1615, when Kepler was at the height of his career, his widowed mother Katharina was accused of witchcraft. The proceedings led to a criminal trial that lasted six years, with Kepler conducting his mother's defense. In 'The Astronomer and the Witch', Ulinka Rublack pieces together the tale of this extraordinary episode in Kepler's life, one which takes us to the heart of his changing world. First and foremost an intense family drama, the story brings to life the world of a small Lutheran community in the centre of Europe at a time of deep religious and political turmoil-- a century after the Reformation, and on the threshold of the Thirty Years' War. Kepler's defense of his mother also offers us a fascinating glimpse into the great astronomer's world view, on the cusp between Reformation and scientific revolution. While advancing rational explanations for the phenomena which his mother's accusers attributed to witchcraft, Kepler nevertheless did not call into question the existence of magic and witches. On the contrary, he clearly believed in them. And, as the story unfolds, it appears that there were moments when even Katharina's children wondered whether their mother really did have nothing to hide ..
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xxxii, 359 pages
Contents
  • Katharina's life
  • A Lutheran court
  • The year of the witches
  • Kepler's strategies
  • A family responds
  • Movements of the soul
  • The trial continues
  • Other witches
  • Katharina's imprisonment
  • Kepler's return
  • The defence
  • The trial ends
  • Kepler's dream
Isbn
9780198736776
Instance
Label
The astronomer & the witch : Johannes Kepler's fight for his mother
Title
The astronomer & the witch
Title remainder
Johannes Kepler's fight for his mother
Statement of responsibility
Ulinka Rublack
Title variation
Astronomer and the witch
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was one of the most admired astronomers who ever lived and a key figure in the scientific revolution. A defender of Copernicus's sun-centered universe, he famously discovered that planets move in ellipses, and defined the three laws of planetary motion. Perhaps less well known is that in 1615, when Kepler was at the height of his career, his widowed mother Katharina was accused of witchcraft. The proceedings led to a criminal trial that lasted six years, with Kepler conducting his mother's defense. In 'The Astronomer and the Witch', Ulinka Rublack pieces together the tale of this extraordinary episode in Kepler's life, one which takes us to the heart of his changing world. First and foremost an intense family drama, the story brings to life the world of a small Lutheran community in the centre of Europe at a time of deep religious and political turmoil-- a century after the Reformation, and on the threshold of the Thirty Years' War. Kepler's defense of his mother also offers us a fascinating glimpse into the great astronomer's world view, on the cusp between Reformation and scientific revolution. While advancing rational explanations for the phenomena which his mother's accusers attributed to witchcraft, Kepler nevertheless did not call into question the existence of magic and witches. On the contrary, he clearly believed in them. And, as the story unfolds, it appears that there were moments when even Katharina's children wondered whether their mother really did have nothing to hide ..
Biography type
individual biography
Cataloging source
ERASA
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Rublack, Ulinka
Dewey number
  • 133.430903
  • 940.2
Illustrations
  • illustrations
  • maps
  • portraits
Index
index present
LC call number
  • KK270.7.K46
  • D250
LC item number
R82 2015
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Kepler, Johannes
  • Keplerin, Katharina
  • Astronomers
  • Astronomers
  • Trials
  • Trials (Witchcraft)
  • Witch hunting
  • Witchcraft
  • Witches
  • Kepler, Johannes
  • Astronomers
  • Trials
  • Trials (Witchcraft)
  • Witch hunting
  • Witchcraft
  • Witches
  • Germany
Label
The astronomer & the witch : Johannes Kepler's fight for his mother, Ulinka Rublack
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 307-346) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Katharina's life -- A Lutheran court -- The year of the witches -- Kepler's strategies -- A family responds -- Movements of the soul -- The trial continues -- Other witches -- Katharina's imprisonment -- Kepler's return -- The defence -- The trial ends -- Kepler's dream
Control code
ocn903804138
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xxxii, 359 pages
Isbn
9780198736776
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps, portraits
Label
The astronomer & the witch : Johannes Kepler's fight for his mother, Ulinka Rublack
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 307-346) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Katharina's life -- A Lutheran court -- The year of the witches -- Kepler's strategies -- A family responds -- Movements of the soul -- The trial continues -- Other witches -- Katharina's imprisonment -- Kepler's return -- The defence -- The trial ends -- Kepler's dream
Control code
ocn903804138
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xxxii, 359 pages
Isbn
9780198736776
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps, portraits

Subject

Genre

Library Locations

    • Mt. Pleasant LibraryBorrow it
      3160 16th St. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, US
      38.9304774 -77.0372288

Library Links

Structured data from the Bibframe namespace is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by DC Public Library System. Additional terms may apply to data associated with third party namespaces.