Alexander Kleinschrodt

Dr. Alexander Kleinschrodt studied musicology, art history and modern German literature at the universities of Bonn and Cologne. He completed his doctoral studies in cultural studies in 2022; his dissertation dealt with spatial theory and music culture. He teaches at the University of Bonn and at the ecosign/Akademie für Gestaltung as a lecturer, focusing on interdisciplinary issues. As a freelance cultural mediator, he develops content and mediation concepts for public institutions and other cultural institutions.

Interview (video)

Nicolaus Copernicus: The state of source material and the history of research

Interview with Prof. Dr. Andreas Kühne
(Science historian, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich)

Prof. Dr. Andreas Kühne was the co-editor of the 2019 edition of the Complete Works of Nicolaus Copernicus. In this interview, he describes what we can learn about Copernicus from the available sources and how the figure of Copernicus came to be politicized. He also describes how research into...

Interview (video)

Nicolaus Copernicus: Astronomical findings and their significance for society

Interview with Dr. Sibylle Anderl
(Astrophysicist, science journalist)

In this interview, Dr. Sibylle Anderl, head of the science department at the “Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung” newspaper, talks about the fascination with Nicolaus Copernicus and about popular images of science. She sees the 2023 Copernicus anniversary year as an opportunity to address the...

Interview (video)

Nicolaus Copernicus: The relationship between theology and science

Interview with Prof. Dr. Matthias Haudel
(Protestant theologian, University of Münster)

Prof. Dr. Matthias Haudel is professor of systematic theology and has specialized in the relationship between theological perspectives and scientific findings, in particular with a comprehensive introductory book published in 2021. In this interview, he clarifies the widespread prejudices about the...

Interview (video)

Nicolaus Copernicus: The Copernican Revolution and today’s “planetary thinking”

Interview with Prof. Dr. Lea Schneider
(Geographer and Earth system researcher, University of Giessen)

Are current terms from sustainability research like “Anthropocene” and “planetary thinking” associated with a new kind of Copernican Revolution? In this interview, Giessen-based geographer Prof. Dr. Lea Schneider considers this complicated yet fascinating question. She also explains the...

Porträt von Nikolaus Kopernikus um 1580

Map and text

Important locations in Copernicus’ life

Varmia and Northern Italy

Nicolaus Copernicus rose to fame due to his interest in the stars. But where did he spend his life on Earth? Most of his sites of activity are found in present-day Poland, and many of them also relate to German history.

Nahaufnahme des Copernicus-Denkmals vor der Burg in Olsztyn

Map and text

Commemorating Copernicus

Contested, reinterpreted, exploited

Since the 19th century, numerous Copernicus monuments have been built around the world. Even today, new sites of remembrance honoring the astronomer emerge, especially in Poland. Each site has a unique agenda, narrative, and background.

Unterschrift als Nic. Coppernicus

Map and text

In Copernicus’ name

Societies, associations, foundations

These days, there are a whole host of organizations in Poland, Germany, and the USA bearing the name Copernicus. Although they all relate to the same historical person, they have quite different goals.

Tellurium

Picture gallery

Instruments and methods

An image gallery on Copernican astronomy

At the time of Copernicus, how did astronomers work? Despite being relatively simple, the instruments and methods were constantly improving.

Porträt Nikolaus Kopernikus von Tobias Stimmer, 1587/1719

Introduction

The Copernican Revolution – a European legacy?

The 550th anniversary of Nicolaus Copernicus’ birth invites us to look at the mark that the astronomer left on the world. And it is also an opportunity to look more closely at how Copernicus has been viewed in the past and how these anniversaries have been treated differently in different periods...

Darstellung des Sonnensystems aus De revolutionibus orbium coelestium

Introduction

Introduction

Copernican Heliocentrism

Nicolaus Copernicus was cautious about sharing his conviction that the planets rotate around the Sun, and only did so over the course of several decades. He was reluctant to cause a major turning point or revolution – and, initially, his teachings were not seen in this way either.

Copernicus-Ausstellung zum 410. Todestag im Jahr 1953 in der Bibliothek der Woiwodschaft Olsztyn im Alten Rathaus Olsztyn

Introduction

Copernicus: A contested European legacy

Introduction: The politics of Copernicus from the 19th century to the present day

Over the past two centuries, discussions about Copernicus have played a key role in German-Polish relations. The years commemorating the anniversaries of the astronomer’s birth and death crystallized the debates.

Planetarium Nürnberg, Eingang mit 1973 angebrachtem „Kopernikus“-Schriftzug

Background Article

The Copernicus anniversary year of 1973 in West Germany

In West Germany, the Copernicus anniversary was coordinated and organized centrally. A lot of effort was put in to ensure that the celebrations would have a wide-reaching impact. Organizations representing those displaced from East and West Prussia played a special role in the celebrations.

Briefmarke der Deutschen Post der DDR, erschienen vor dem 500. Geburtstag von Kopernikus am 19.02.1973

Background Article

The Copernicus anniversary year of 1973 in East Germany

In East Germany, the Copernicus anniversary was marked by a range of ceremonies and receptions. The aim was to highlight positive relations between Germany and Poland, with Copernicus being presented as a pioneer for the socialist state’s worldview.

Plakat zur deutschen Fassung des Films Copernicus

Background Article

The Copernicus anniversary year of 1973 in the Polish People’s Republic

The Polish celebrations to mark the anniversary of Copernicus’ birth in 1973 were widespread and impacted science, the general public, and international relations. An expensive feature movie about the life of Copernicus was one of the main features of the celebrations.