PONTANUS, JOHANNES ISAACS

(1571–1639)

Historian. Born aboard a ship at sea (ponsis the Latin for “deck of a ship”) near Hels ingor as the son of a Dutch commercial agent, Pontanus studied med icine at the Academy of Harderwijk in the province of Gelderland, made a grand tour to Rome, and took his doctoral degree in medicine at the University of Basel, Switzerland. In Denmark for some time he assisted the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe in his observations. In 1606, Pontanus was appointed professor of philosophy and math eseos (including medicine) at Harderwijk. At the request of the Dan ish king, he wrote a history of the Danes (published in 1631). In 1621, he was appointed historiographerto the States of Gelderland. His most famous book is on the history of Amsterdam(published in Latin in 1611 and in Dutch in 1614).