Johann Weyer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johann Wier
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Engraving of Johann Wier, age 60, from De Lamiis Liber
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| Born | 1515 Grave, Netherlands
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| Died | 24 February 1588 (aged 73) Tecklenburg, Germany
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| Other names | Jan Wier, Johan Wier, Johannes Wier, Jean Wier, Ioannes Wierus, Piscinarius |
| Occupation | Physician, general occultist |
| Employer | Duke of Jülich-Cleves |
Johannes Wier (also known as Ioannes Wierus) was a Dutch doctor born in 1515. He was one of the first people to write a detailed book speaking out against the unfair trials and punishment of people accused of witchcraft. His most important book was called De Praestigiis Daemonum (which means 'On the Illusions of the Demons'). It was published in 1563.
About Johann Wier's Life
Johann Wier was born in a small town called Grave in the Netherlands. When he was about 14, he went to live and study with a famous scholar named Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. They lived in Antwerp and later in Bonn.
Wier studied medicine in Paris and Orléans starting in 1534. He became a doctor in his hometown of Grave. In 1545, he became the official city doctor of Arnhem.
In 1548, he was asked to give advice in a court case about a fortune teller. Later, he moved to Cleves in 1550. There, he became the court doctor for Duke William the Rich.
Wier wrote his most important books about witchcraft while working for the Duke. In these books, he used his medical knowledge to explain that many supposed "wonders" or "witchcraft" were actually just tricks or illnesses. He believed that many accused witches were actually sick or mentally unwell.
He stopped working in 1578, and his son, Galenus Wier, took over his job. Johann Wier died on February 24, 1588, in Tecklenburg, Germany, at the age of 73. He was visiting someone who was sick.
Honoring Johann Wier
The church in Tecklenburg has a special plaque to remember Wier. In 1884, the town built a tower in his honor, called the Wierturm.
There is also a Dutch human rights group for health workers named the Johannes Wier Foundation. This group helps protect the rights of medical professionals.
Wier also appears as a character in the video game Amnesia: The Dark Descent. This shows his lasting impact on history and culture.
A writer named Kurt Baschwitz wrote a lot about Wier's important work. Baschwitz studied how groups of people think and behave. He praised Wier for fighting against mass delusions, like the belief in widespread witchcraft.
Wier's Family
Johann Wier's parents were Agnes Rhordam and Theodorus (Dirk) Wier. His father was a merchant and a local official in Grave. His family was close to important people like Maximiliaan van Egmond.
Johann had two siblings: Arnold Wier and Mathijs Wier, who was known as a mystic. Johann married Judith Wintgens in Arnhem. They had at least five children together.
After Judith died, he married Henriette Holst. His oldest son, Diederik Wier, became a lawyer and diplomat. Diederik was involved in important events that led to the Eighty Years' War in the Netherlands. This war was about the Dutch fighting for their freedom.
About Wier's Name
Johann Wier always signed his letters as "Johannes Wier." Sometimes he used "Piscinarius." His family also used the name "Wier." Even the tower built to honor him in Germany is called the "Wierturm."
However, since the 1900s, the name "Johann Weyer" has become more common in books and studies, especially in German and English. Some people thought "Wier" was just a local way of saying "Weyer." But Wier's family was from Zeeland, where "Wier" was the common name.
See also
- Nicholas Remy
- Daemonolatreiae libri tres
