Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Lenbach, Franz von

(Encyclopedia)Lenbach, Franz von fränts fən lānˈbäkh [key], 1836–1904, German portrait painter. He studied in Munich and Rome and from 1863 to 1868 worked as a copyist of old masters in Italy and Spain. His ...

Baeyer, Adolf von

(Encyclopedia)Baeyer, Adolf von (Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer) äˈdôlf fən bāˈyər; yōhänˈ frēˈdrĭkh vĭlˈhĕlm [key], 1835–1917, German chemist. He taught at Berlin and Strasbourg and in...

Gallas, Matthias, Graf von

(Encyclopedia)Gallas, Matthias, Graf von mätēˈäs gräf fən gälˈäs [key], 1584–1647, imperial general in the Thirty Years War. He served under Tilly, commander of the Catholic League, in Germany until 1629...

Agricola, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Agricola, Johann or Johannes əgrĭkˈələ [key], c.1494–1566, German Protestant minister, whose family name was Schnitter (originally Schneider). He was born at Eisleben and is sometimes called M...

Kuhnau, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Kuhnau, Johann yōˈhän ko͞oˈnou [key], 1660–1722, German composer and performer. Kuhnau was J. S. Bach's predecessor as organist and cantor at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. He wrote various trea...

Hedwig, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Hedwig, Johann yōˈhän hātˈvĭkh [key], 1730–99, German botanist, b. Transylvania. He was an authority on the lower plants, especially mosses, and was professor at the Univ. of Leipzig from 1786...

Fust, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Fust yōˈhän foust [key], d. 1466?, printer at Mainz. Johann Gutenberg borrowed substantial sums of money from Fust, a goldsmith, lawyer, and money lender. When Gutenberg was unable to repay these s...

Bethmann-Hollweg, Theobald von

(Encyclopedia)Bethmann-Hollweg, Theobald von tāˈōbält fən bātˈmän-hôlˈvāk [key], 1856–1921, German chancellor. A career civil servant, he became minister of the interior (1905) and secretary of state (...

Pachelbel, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Pachelbel, Johann päkhĕlˈbĕl, päkhˈəlbĕlˌ [key], 1653–1706, German organist and composer, b. Nuremberg. He held a number of posts as an organist in German churches, returning to his birthpl...

Zoffany, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Zoffany, Johann yōˈhän zŏfˈənē [key], 1735–1810, English painter. After 12 years of study in Italy, Zoffany settled in England. He frequently painted conversation pieces, domestic tableaux fi...

Browse by Subject