The Astronomer and the Witch: Johannes Kepler's Fight for his MotherJohannes 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-centred 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 defence. 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 defence 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... |
Contents
Introduction
| 1 |
Katharinas Life | 17 |
A Lutheran Court | 45 |
The Year of the Witches | 67 |
Keplers Strategies | 87 |
A Family Responds | 109 |
Movements of the Soul | 133 |
The Trial Continues | 157 |
Keplers Return | 207 |
The Defence | 221 |
The Trial Ends | 243 |
Keplers Dream | 265 |
EPILOGUE
| 295 |
Notes | 307 |
Further Reading and Viewing | 345 |
Acknowledgements | 347 |
Other editions - View all
The Astronomer and the Witch: Johannes Kepler's Fight for his Mother Ulinka Rublack Limited preview - 2015 |
The Astronomer & the Witch: Johannes Kepler's Fight for His Mother Ulinka Rublack Limited preview - 2015 |
The Astronomer and the Witch: Johannes Kepler's Fight for His Mother Ulinka Rublack No preview available - 2017 |
Common terms and phrases
accused alleged Andreae argued asked astrological astronomer Aulber Besold Briefen brother Cambridge Caspar Catholic chancellery Christian Christoph Kepler confessed court daughter defamation defence devil drinking ducal governor dukes of Württemberg Duracotus Dyck Early Modern Eltingen executioner family’s father felt Figure Fiolxhilde florins friends Frisch further German God’s Graz Güglingen Harmony Heimsheim Heinrich Heumaden honourable HStASt human husband ideas imperial imprisoned interrogated Johann Bauhin Johann Valentin Andreae Johannes Kepler Katharina Kepler Kepler wrote knew Leonberg letter Linz lived Lutheran magical Margaretha market square Mästlin mathematician medicine mother natural needed never once Opera Palatinate pastor people’s political Prague Protestant Reinbold Rublack Rudolph Schloss Sibylle St John’s College StAL Stuttgart thought torture town Trugenberger Tübingen professors turn University Press Ursula Reinbold Weil der Stadt widow Wilhelm Schickard witch witchcraft trials witnesses Wolfgang Behringer woman women Württemberg young