18 Results
Map and text

Commemorating Copernicus

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.
Introduction

Copernicus: A contested European legacy

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.
Bildergalerie-Seitenelement

Galerieelemente Instrumente und Verfahren

Bildergalerie-Seitenelement

Galerieelemente Instruments and methods

Map and text

Important locations in Copernicus’ life

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.
Map and text

In Copernicus’ name

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.
Picture gallery

Instruments and methods

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

Introduction

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.
Interview (video)

Nicolaus Copernicus: Astronomical findings and their significance for society

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 doubts about fundamental scientific findings that have become visible in certain places in recent times.
Interview (video)

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

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 objectives behind the European Union’s Earth Observation Program, which bears the name “Copernicus”.
Interview (video)

Nicolaus Copernicus: The relationship between theology and science

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 relationship between the Church and science during Copernicus’ time and continues along this vein to consider the possibilities of a dialogue that could arise today, e.g. between quantum physics and theology.
Interview (video)

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

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 Copernicus could lead to new findings.
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 of history.
Map and text

The Copernican network

Despite living in relative isolation, Copernicus maintained a number of significant contacts during his time as a scholar and cleric.
Astronomers from many parts of Europe carried on his work after his death.
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.
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.
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.
Introduction

The many names of Nicolaus Copernicus

What is the name of the astronomer who introduced the heliocentric worldview? In principle, there can only be one answer to this question. But, when it comes to the actual spelling of the name Copernicus, it varies massively depending on where you look.