After the Monastery
For more than 400 years, the Cistercian monastery in Heilsbronn had been a major influence on the town and the surrounding area. However, the social upheavals of the transition from the Middle Ages to Modern Times did not leave the monastery in Heilsbronn untouched.
Social Upheavals
During the Peasants' War, Margrave Casimir compelled the monks to exchange their traditional habits for priestly robes. Due to political pressures and internal conflicts, the Cistercian abbey ultimately embraced the new faith. Prior Johann Schopper of Heilsbronn was part of the visitation committee in Ansbach that facilitated the Reformation before he became the abbot of the monastery. In 1524, the monastery aligned with the Reformation and continued to exist until 1578. Like many other reformed monasteries, it remained Protestant for over 50 years, experiencing the leadership of eight abbots. The dilapidated monastery was finally dissolved following the death of the last Cistercian abbot, Melchior Wunder, in 1578. The monastery school established by Abbot Johannes Schopper in 1530 transitioned into a Protestant grammar school in 1582 and merged with the Gymnasium Carolinum in Ansbach in 1737.
The Fürstenschule
The Fürstenschule Heilsbronn was a Protestant grammar school for the Principality of Brandenburg-Ansbach. It was founded in 1582 by Margrave Georg Friedrich as the successor to the monastic school founded in 1530 at Heilsbronn Abbey.
The Heilsbronn Fürstenschule was modelled on the princely schools founded by Duke Maurice of Saxony from 1543. Scholarships enabled talented students to attend. The school was housed in the former monks' dormitory.
In 1737 the school was merged with the Latin School in Ansbach and moved there. Through this union and the associated foundation charter, the Latin School was elevated to the status of the Gymnasium Carolinum Illustre. The Gymnasium Carolinum in Ansbach still sees itself as part of this tradition. Friedrich Taubmann, one of the first graduates, later became a distinguished scholar. Even more significant is the work of Simon Marius, who was one of the best students.
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Markgrave Georg Friedrich by Lucas Cranach the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Simon Marius
Simon Marius, born in Ansbach in 1573, was an important German astronomer and mathematician of the early modern period. He was a pupil and teacher at the secondary school in Heilsbronn and is best known for his work on astronomy, in particular for his discoveries in the field of planetary motion. Marius studied at various universities, including the University of Altdorf, where he was intensively involved in astronomy. One of his most notable achievements was the simultaneous discovery of Jupiter's four largest moons, now known as the Galilean moons. While Galileo Galilei also discovered these moons, Marius published his observations in his work ‘Mundus Iovialis’ in 1614, which led to a controversy over the priority of the discovery. Marius' work contributed significantly to the understanding of planetary motions and the structure of the solar system. In addition to his astronomical studies, Marius was also active in mathematics and dealt with various mathematical problems of his time.Simon Marius died in 1624, but his influence on science is still felt today.
unknown author, Public domain