Jakob Ceporin
Encyclopedia
Jakob Ceporin was a Swiss
humanist. Born Jakob Wiesendanger (Ceporin is a close Greek
translation of the original Swiss surname -from keporós, "garden-custodian," "garden-overseer") in the town of Dinhard
, Ceporin was the son of a wealthy farmer. He studied at the school of Latin at Winterthur
before attending the Universities of Cologne
and Vienna
.
He acquired knowledge of Hebrew
after studying with the German humanist Johannes Reuchlin in Ingolstadt
, knowledge of which would prove useful to him when he later became an inhabitant of Zurich
, a stronghold of the Protestant Reformation
in Switzerland
. He worked in Basel
as a proof-reader in the service of a printing house. Around the second half of 1523, Ceporin married Elsbeth Scherer, a former Dominican nun of the monastery of Töss
. This marriage produced a daughter –Veronika- who later became the wife of the scholar Konrad Klauser.
On April 14, 1525, Ceporin was appointed as the first Reader of Greek and Hebrew at Zwingli
's school of theology in Zurich
. Though a young man when he was appointed, his skill in languages had impressed his contemporaries; Zwingli was especially impressed by his wide knowledge. Ceporin’s short book on Greek grammar (published 1522) was reprinted in many editions and was still in use in the eighteenth century in Swiss schools. Ceporin died unexpectedly at the early age of 26, on December 20, at Zurich.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
humanist. Born Jakob Wiesendanger (Ceporin is a close Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
translation of the original Swiss surname -from keporós, "garden-custodian," "garden-overseer") in the town of Dinhard
Dinhard
Dinhard is a municipality in the district of Winterthur, which is located in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-Geography:Dinhard has an area of . Of this area, 70.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 19.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 10% is settled and the remainder is...
, Ceporin was the son of a wealthy farmer. He studied at the school of Latin at Winterthur
Winterthur
Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti...
before attending the Universities of Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
and Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
.
He acquired knowledge of Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
after studying with the German humanist Johannes Reuchlin in Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
, knowledge of which would prove useful to him when he later became an inhabitant of Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, a stronghold of the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He worked in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
as a proof-reader in the service of a printing house. Around the second half of 1523, Ceporin married Elsbeth Scherer, a former Dominican nun of the monastery of Töss
Töss
The Töss is a river of the Canton of Zürich. It rises in the Zürcher Oberland, flows along the Töss Valley past Winterthur, and joins the Rhine at Tössegg near Teufen....
. This marriage produced a daughter –Veronika- who later became the wife of the scholar Konrad Klauser.
On April 14, 1525, Ceporin was appointed as the first Reader of Greek and Hebrew at Zwingli
Huldrych Zwingli
Ulrich Zwingli was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system, he attended the University of Vienna and the University of Basel, a scholarly centre of humanism...
's school of theology in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. Though a young man when he was appointed, his skill in languages had impressed his contemporaries; Zwingli was especially impressed by his wide knowledge. Ceporin’s short book on Greek grammar (published 1522) was reprinted in many editions and was still in use in the eighteenth century in Swiss schools. Ceporin died unexpectedly at the early age of 26, on December 20, at Zurich.
Sources
- E. Egli, “Ceporins Leben und Schr.,” Analecta Reformatoria 2, 1901, 145-160.
- Ein Philologe an Zwinglis Seite (in German)