Kircher S.J.: feit of fictie?
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Ontdek de fascinerende wereld van Athanasius Kircher, beschouwd als laatste Renaissance-man, via zijn meest controversile werken bij Maastricht UniversityRenaissance-mans Special Collections. Be captivated by his encyclopedias and treatises on China and Egyptian hieroglyphs, whether the information was true or not.
Athanasius Kircher (1602 1680) was a German-born Jesuit priest and scholar, widely considered to be the last so-called Renaissance man a polymath who claimed to have conquered every domain of knowledge, as well as learned every language. His works covered a wide range of subjects, from physics and astronomy to archaeology and oriental studies. Today, we know that his writings, supplemented by correspondence with over 900 contemporary scholars, were conflations designed to support his theories, whether the information was true or not.
The Special Collections of Maastricht University house twenty-two original Kircher books. For the exhibition, we are presenting some of his most controversial works, such as his encyclopedia of China and his treatise on Egyptian hieroglyphs. Kircher claimed not only to decipher the hieroglyphs but also to write his own. These works provide a fascinating glimpse into how knowledge was gathered and presented in the seventeenth century and into the influential yet often controversial figure of Kircher himself.
Good to know
To find the display walk thourgh the art gates. After 20 meter you'll find the display behind the window on your left side.
Praktische informatie
Datum: 30 sep - 31 okt 2024
Tijdstip: 08:30 17:30
Locatie: Grote Looierstraat 17, 6211JH Maastricht
Kosten: Gratis
Meer info: umlib.nl/specialcollections
Contact: specialcollections-u@maastr
