Oswald Myconius was a follower of Huldrych 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...

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He was born at Lucerne, 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....

. His family name was Geisshüsler, and his father was a miller; hence he was also called Molitoris (Latin molitor, "miller"). The name Myconius seems to have been given him by Erasmus; it is a translated Greek name from the original Swiss surname. From the school at Rottweil, on the Neckar

Neckar

The Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...

, he went to the University of Basel

University of Basel

The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...

 to study classics. From 1514 he obtained teaching posts at Basel, where he married, and made the acquaintance of Erasmus and of Hans Holbein

Hans Holbein the Younger

Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...

, the painter. In 1516 he was called, as schoolmaster, to Zürich

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...

, where (1518) he attached himself to the reforming party of Zwingli. This led to his being transferred to Lucerne, and again (1523) reinstated at Zürich.

On the death of Zwingli (1531) he moved to 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...

, where he held the office of town's preacher, and (till 1541) the chair of New Testament

New Testament

The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....

 exegesis

Exegesis

Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...

. In confessional matters he was for a union of all Protestants; though a Zwinglian, his readiness to compromise with the advocates of consubstantiation gave him trouble with the hard-line Zwinglians. He had, however, a distinguished follower in Theodore Bibliander

Theodore Bibliander

Theodore Bibliander was a Swiss Orientalist, publisher, and linguist. Born Theodor Buchmann in Bischofszell, he studied Latin under Oswald Myconius, and Greek and Hebrew under Jakob Ceporin, and attended lectures in Basel between 1525-7 given by Johannes Oekolampad and Konrad Pelikan...

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Among his several tractates, the most important is De H Zwinglii vita el obitu (1536), translated into English by Henry Bennet (1561). See Melchior Adam

Melchior Adam

Melchior Adam was a German literature historian.Adam was born in Grottkau, Silesia . He visited the college in Brieg Brzeg, then studied on various academies with financial support of his benefactor Joachim von Berg...

, Vita theologorum (1620); M Kirch-hofer, O. Myconius (1813); KR Hagenbach

Karl Rudolf Hagenbach

Karl Rudolf Hagenbach was a Swiss church historian.-Life:He was born at Basel, where his father was a practising physician. His preliminary education was at a Pestalozzian school, and afterwards at the gymnasium, whence in due course he passed to the newly reorganized local university...

, J. Oekolampad und O. Myconius (1859); FM Ledderhose, in Allgemeine deutsche Biog. (1886); B Riggenbach and Egli, in Hauck's Realencyklopadie (1903).