Agricola, Georgius
,
De re metallica
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1912/1950
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until the fourth day was he borne away to Zeitz and interred in the Cathedral.
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. . . . I have always admired the genius of this man, so distinguished
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in our sciences and in the whole realm of Philosophy—yet I wonder at his
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religious views, which were compatible with reason, it is true, and were
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dazzling, but were by no means compatible with truth. . . . He
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would not tolerate with patience that anyone should discuss ecclesiastical
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matters with him.” This action of the authorities in denying burial to one
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of their most honored citizens, who had been ever assiduous in furthering
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the welfare of the community, seems strangely out of joint. </
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>Further, the
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Elector Augustus, although a Protestant Prince, was Agricola's warm friend,
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as evidenced by his letter of but a few months before (see p. </
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>xv). However,
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Catholics were then few in number at Chemnitz, and the feeling ran high at the
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time, so possibly the Prince was afraid of public disturbances. </
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>Hofmann
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14
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explains this occurrence in the following words:—“The feelings of Chemnitz
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citizens, who were almost exclusively Protestant, must certainly be taken
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into account. </
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>They may have raised objections to the solemn interment of
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a Catholic in the Protestant Cathedral Church of St. </
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>Jacob, which had,
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perhaps, been demanded by his relatives, and to which, according to the
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custom of the time, he would have been entitled as Burgomaster. </
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>The
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refusal to sanction the interment aroused, more especially in the Catholic
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world, a painful sensation.”</
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>A brass memorial plate hung in the Cathedral at Zeitz had already
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disappeared in 1686, nor have the cities of his birth or residence ever shown
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any appreciation of this man, whose work more deserves their gratitude
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than does that of the multitude of soldiers whose monuments decorate every
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village and city square. </
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>It is true that in 1822 a marble tablet was
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placed behind the altar in the Church of St. </
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<
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>Jacob in Chemnitz, but even
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this was removed to the Historical Museum later on.</
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>He left a modest estate, which was the subject of considerable litigation by
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his descendants, due to the mismanagement of the guardian. </
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>Hofmann has
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succeeded in tracing the descendants for two generations, down to 1609, but
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the line is finally lost among the multitude of other Agricolas.</
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>To deduce Georgius Agricola's character we need not search beyond the
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discovery of his steadfast adherence to the religion of his fathers amid the
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bitter storm of Protestantism around him, and need but to remember at the
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same time that for twenty-five years he was entrusted with elective positions
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of an increasingly important character in this same community. </
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>No man
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could have thus held the respect of his countrymen unless he were devoid of
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bigotry and possessed of the highest sense of integrity, justice, humanity,
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and patriotism.</
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