Johannes Aventinus facts for kids
Johannes Aventinus, whose real name was Johann Georg Turmair, was a very important historian from Bavaria, Germany. He lived a long time ago, from 1477 to 1534. He was known as a "Renaissance humanist." This means he was a scholar who loved learning about ancient times. Aventinus was also a philologist, someone who studies languages and texts. His most famous work is the Annals of Bavaria, written in 1523. This book is a valuable record of Germany's early history.
Contents
A Teacher and Scholar
Johannes Aventinus studied in many famous cities. He went to universities in Ingolstadt, Vienna, Cracow, and Paris. In 1507, he returned to Ingolstadt.
Becoming a Royal Tutor
In 1509, Aventinus got a special job. He became a tutor for two young princes, Louis and Ernest. They were the younger brothers of Duke William IV of Bavaria. Aventinus worked as their teacher until 1517.
Helping His Students Learn
He wrote a Latin grammar book called Rudimenta grammaticae latinae in 1512. He also created other helpful guides for his students. In 1515, he even traveled to Italy with Prince Ernest.
Founding a Literary Group
Aventinus was very passionate about learning. He helped start a group called the "literary brotherhood of Ingolstadt." This group helped discover many old manuscripts. However, the group stopped existing in 1520.
Bavaria's Official Historian
In 1517, Duke William IV gave Aventinus a big responsibility. He appointed him as Bavaria's official historian. His main task was to write a complete history of the country.
Collecting Historical Records
Aventinus gathered many important historical documents for his work. Some of these original documents only exist today because Aventinus copied them. He carefully studied these records.
Writing the Annals of Bavaria
He used all his research to write a detailed history of Bavaria. This book was called Annales Bojorum, which means "Annals of Bavaria." He also wrote a shorter German version called the Bayerische Chronik. This German book was the first important history written in the German language.
A Time of Change: The Reformation
Aventinus remained a Catholic throughout his life. However, he agreed with some ideas of the Protestant Reformation. This was a big religious movement happening at the time.
His Views on Religion
He talked with important Reformation leaders like Philipp Melanchthon and Martin Luther. Aventinus did not agree with some church practices. For example, he disliked private confessions and pilgrimages. He also thought the church leaders had too much power. He was not fond of monks.
Facing Challenges
Because of his strong opinions, he was put in prison in 1528. But his friends quickly helped him get out. The rest of his life was a bit difficult, and he passed away in Regensburg.
The Annals of Bavaria Book
The Annals of Bavaria is a very long book, split into seven parts. It covers the history of Bavaria and general history from ancient times up to the year 1460.
A New Way of Writing History
Aventinus worked very hard on his book. He tried to be very accurate and critical of his sources. In some ways, his approach was similar to how modern historians work today. He also showed support for the Holy Roman Empire in its disagreements with the Pope.
When the Book Was Published
Because of his different views, the Annals were not published until 1554. The first edition, printed in Ingolstadt, left out many parts. These were passages that were critical of Roman Catholics. A more complete version was published in Basel in 1580 by Nicholas Cisner.
Other Works and Legacy
Aventinus was sometimes called the "Bavarian Herodotus." Herodotus was a famous ancient Greek historian. Aventinus wrote other books, but they are less well-known. All his works were published together in Munich between 1881 and 1886. In his Annals, Aventinus also saved some parts of an older chronicle by Creontius, which is now lost.
Teutonic Family Tree
In his Chronik, Aventinus created a long list of ancient German kings. He said these kings ruled large parts of Germany and nearby areas. He claimed they ruled from the time of the Great Flood until about 100 BC. He even linked them to events from the Bible and ancient Greek and Roman history.
Most of these rulers and their stories are made up. However, some were based on real or legendary figures. For example, kings like Boiger, Kels II, and Teutenbuecher were based on actual ancient leaders.
Dynasty of Tuitsch Dynasty of Mader Dynasty of Brenner III Unknown dynastic affiliation
| Ruler | Ruler | Ruler |
|---|---|---|
| Tuitsch 2214–2038 | Adalger 1377–1328 | Mader 644–589 |
| Mannus 1978–1906 | Larein 1328–1277 | Brenner II & Koenman 589–479 |
| Eingeb 1906–1870 | Ylsing 1277–1224 | Landein, Antör & Rögör 479–399 |
| Ausstaeb 1870–1820 | Brenner I 1224–1186 | Brenner III 399–361 |
| Herman 1820–1757 | Heccar 1186–1155 | Schirm & Brenner IV 361–263 |
| Mers 1757–1711 | Frank 1155–1114 | Thessel, Lauther & Euring 279–194 |
| Gampar 1711–1667 | Wolfheim Siclinger 1114–1056 | Dieth I & Diethmer 194–172 |
| Schwab 1667–1621 | Kels I, Gal & Hillyr 1056–1006 | Baermund & Synpol 172–127 |
| Wandler 1621–1580 | Alber (& six unnamed others) 1006–946 | Boiger, Kels II & Teutenbuecher 127–100 |
| Deuto 1580–1553 | Walther, Panno & Schard 946–884 | Scheirer 100–70 |
| Alman 1553–1489 | Main, Öngel & Treibl 884–814 | Ernst & Vocho 70–50 |
| Baier 1489–1429 | Myela, Laber & Penno 814–714 | Pernpeist 50–40 |
| Ingram 1429–1377 | Venno & Helto 714–644 | Cotz, Dieth II & Creitschir c. 40–13 |
His Lasting Impact
Johannes Aventinus is still remembered today.
Walhalla Temple Bust
King Ludwig I of Bavaria honored Aventinus. He had a statue of Aventinus's head placed in the Walhalla temple. This temple celebrates important German figures.
A Beer Named After Him
There is even a type of German wheat beer named after him. It's called Aventinus beer and is made by G. Schneider & Son.
