Gottfried Sellius facts for kids

Gottfried Sellius (whose real name was Gottfried Sell) was a German scholar and translator. He lived from about 1704 to 1767. He is well-known for his studies on a type of shipworm called Teredo navalis. Sellius was also one of the first people to start a big encyclopedia project. This project later became the famous Encyclopédie.

Who Was Gottfried Sellius?

Gottfried Sellius was an important figure in the 18th century. He was a scholar who worked in different fields, including law and science. His most famous work involved both natural history and the creation of one of the world's first major encyclopedias.

Early Life and Education

Gottfried Sellius was born in a city called Danzig. When he was older, he went to university. He first studied at the University of Marburg. After that, he continued his education at the University of Leiden. There, he earned a degree in law.

A Scholar's Career

After finishing his studies, Sellius moved to a city called Utrecht. He also got married there. In 1733, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This was a very respected group of scientists in London.

Sellius later became a professor of law. He taught at the University of Göttingen and then at the University of Halle. At Halle, he also taught experimental physics. However, he faced some money problems. Because of this, he had to leave Halle. In 1737, his valuable collection of books was sold in an auction.

Working on the Encyclopedia

Sellius moved to Paris, France, where he started working as a translator. One of his main projects was translating the Cyclopaedia. This was a large dictionary of arts and sciences written by Ephraim Chambers.

This translation project did not end well. The publisher, André le Breton, did not like the translation that Sellius and John Mills had prepared. This led to a big disagreement and a legal dispute. However, this situation actually helped clear the way for a new, even bigger project. This new project was the Encyclopédie, created by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert. It started around 1750, building on Chambers' work but soon becoming its own unique and massive collection of knowledge.

Later Years

Gottfried Sellius passed away on June 25, 1767. He died in an institution in Charenton.