Pliny of Silesia
During its History Jelenia Góra saw many prominent luminaries that worked on specific specialties in European Stage. Among them there is Kaspar Schwenckfeldt ( 1563 – 1609) who was very important.
According to Marcin Meister, chronicler( from the first half of XVII century) from Görlitz. K. Schwenckfeldt was born on 14th of August of 1563 in Gryfów Śląski. After finishing local elementary school at the age of 16 he joined to the Philosophical Department in Leipzig Academy during the autumn – winter semester of 1579- 1580. After two years of studies he received bachelor degree.
Schwenckfeldt saw that he didn’t have an option to fulfil his passion for medical studies at that Academy, he made decision the leave and went to one of The French Academies of Medicine, where he studied previously mentioned branch of studies. Long travel distance and costs of studies there, forced young enthusiast of medicine to gather adequate financial resources. That was the reason why he started to practice under local Doctor from Colmar, Jakub Wecker. Schwenckfeldt apart from earning enough funds also learned a lot about pharmacology.
At the beginning of 1585 he went to the previously mentioned universities, but his plan were sadly put on hold because of sickness – fever. Long lasting sickness not only impaired young passionate of medical studies health, but also took away his livelihood. Sick young Silesian at that time was looked after by Kaspar Bauhin (1560 – 1624), who was Professor of botany and anatomy and a Dean of Medical department of the Basel University. Thanks to thoughtful care and generous support from K. Bauhin, not only during the time when his health was impaired by the sickness, without much hassle he was able to go to pharmacological studies at the Medical department of the Basel University.
Young Silesian while working under the previously mentioned professor wrote PhD thesis concerned the pharmacology called “Thesaurus pfarmaceuticis medicamentorum” which can be loosely translated to “ vault of pharmacological medicines”.
After defending his PhD thesis at the beginning of 1587, 24 years old came back to his hometown of Gryfów. Scope of knowledge of young graduate from the Basel University, caused city council to make him a historical first ever city doctor in 1951.
City council of Jelenia Góra was also interested in him, and proposed to him similar position in Jelenia Góra. After years of hesitation, in 1593 Schwenckfeldt and his family moved to the previously mentioned city.
Schwenckfeldt was one of many doctors from XVIth century that were connecting knowledge of medicine with research data. He was interested in it since his time in Basel University. Under the wing of his mentor K. Bauhin, he travelled through open spaces of Alps. He walk through wooded, marshy and swampy grounds along the spiral banks of Helvetic mountains steams. His teacher subjected maxim of the famous Renaissance Anatomist Doctor, ParacelSuS “All meadows, tundras, mountains and hills are pharmacies”. He was fascinated by sightseeing tours since he was studying at the Basel University and continued to do it when he returned to his hometown and when he settled in Jelenia Góra. His passion for it can be seen in his statement “I have lavished all the effort to observe animals, collect plants and minerals”.
“Stripium et fossilium catalogus” (eng. Collection of plants and minerals) was a result of tedious, laborious years of reaserch. It was published in 1600. 3 Years after in Legnica another of Schwenckfeldt’s work “Theriotropheum Silesiae – Silesian’s Preserve”.
In 1605 he settled in Görlitz for good, having similar positon to his previous one in Jelenia Góra. Two years later, local publishing house published another of his work “Hirschbergischen warmen Bades - Jelenia Góra’s hot springs. It is dedicated to the history of town and medical values of its mineral water.
There is not much knowledge about his last years mostly, because we don’t have any information from that period of time. Without knowledge from that time we can’t be sure what caused him to passed away. He died on 9th of June 1609 being 46 years old.
Silesian literature owns a creation of modern geography to him. He is an Author of Historical – geographical description of Silesia called “Silesiae geographiae brevis delineation – Brief description of Silesian Geography”.
During 12 years Schwenckfeldt went to many sightseeing – researching travels. He explored an area that was about 4.000 km2. It is safe to say that Schwenckfeldt was one of the Karkonosze and nearby massifs explorers. It it possibly that he open the floodgates of hiking in the Wester Sudetes area.
Schwenckfeldt was also very passionate about books. He was expanding his book collection his entire life. At the time of his passing he was collection contained 705 books. His regirster has been preserved in Stadtarchiv in Görlitz. This impressive, as of those times. “asset” helped him with writing thesises from the fields of: botany, zoology, mineralogy, balneology, history and geography.
Kaspar Schwenckfeldt was a member of Silesian intellectuals in European Stage. He was a hard worker. He stood out with his versatility and huge research passion. He left behind his legacy in: pharmacology, balneology, botany, mineralogy, zoology and geography.
PhD thesis "Thesaurus pharmaceuticus” was a perfect fusion of long developed, but shattered pharmacology knowledge. It took rightful place in the “vault” of the european knowledge in the field of herbal medicine.
Other field of medicine that Schwenckfeldt was devoted to was balneology. Published in Görlitz , 1605 monograph ” Hirschbergischen warmen Bades - Jelenia Góra’s hot springs”, described Silesian health resort in Cieplice, contains oldest expert assessment about local mineral water. It was the most complete analysis of physical and chemical features of local water sources. His recommendations about treatment method are used to this day.
Schwenckfeldt also takes very special place amongst other Silesian botanists. Thanks to him local flora was cataloged for the first time. larger part ”Stirpium et fossilium catalogus” – catalogue of plants and minerals dedicated to the plants and minerals that can be found in Wester Sudetes area, it is also worth notice that previously mentioned work, had a scale that was never achieved before in history of Silesian botanical literature. Monography is considered to be one of the most remarkable description of its time of Europe.
One of the most valuable work of Schwenckfeldt is “Silesiae catalogus omnis generis mineralia, metalla, succos, terrae, lapilos frontes medicatos - catalogue of minerals, metals, soils, stones and mineral sources. It is counted as oldest trailblazing work about Silesian mineralogy.
Schwenckfeldt was pioneer of describing Silesian Fauna. Theriotropheum Silesiae – Silesian’s Preserve” was first publication about zoology in German speaking area.
Release of his “Silesiae geographiae brevis delineation – brief historical outline diagram of Silesia” was another step in expansion of modern Silesian Geography. From XVI to XX century, His works were used not only by native scholars, but also by foreign scholars. Schwenckfeldt knowledge put him not only among Prominent Silesian Explorers, but also among Leading scholars of his time.
Thanks to his all-round interests , mostly to his academic achievements he earn a title of “Pilny of Silesia”.
Il. za: Staffa, M. Karkonosze. Wrocław : Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie, 1996, page. 114.