The first public mention of Lorenz Fries appears on a 1513 Nuremberg broadsheet detailing a monstrous birth near Rome. A physician, astrologer, and cartographer by trade, Fries spent his working life in Alsace and the Holy Roman Empire, producing medical texts and updating foundational geographic maps to include new information regarding the New World and Asia.
Medical Practice and Writings
Fries' most enduring contribution to medicine is the Spiegel der Arznei, first published in 1518. Over the next four decades, the work saw twelve editions. During his time in Colmar, where he lived in an Augustinian monastery, he established himself as a doctor of philosophy and medicine. His broader medical output included texts on the treatment of syphilis using Guaiacum wood, an interpretation of the English sweat epidemic, and a synonym index of medicinal substances derived from earlier works.
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While residing in Strasbourg, Fries collaborated with the printer Johannes Grüninger to refine and republish the works of Martin Waldseemüller. He prepared a revised edition of Ptolemy's Geography and produced interpretations of maritime charts. His work focused on integrating contemporary discoveries in Asia and the Americas into the existing Ptolemaic framework. Historians credit him with likely being the first to introduce the German term "Karte" to describe these geographic documents.
Professional Life and Migration
Fries maintained a transient career, moving between cities to serve as a physician. He held a position as city physician in Freiburg im Üechtland and later moved to Trier and Metz. His career was marked by shifting religious landscapes; he departed Strasbourg in 1525 following the city's increasing Protestant orientation, remaining an adherent of the Roman Church. By 1528, he was settled in Metz, where he continued his astrological work, including creating a birth horoscope for the city's mayor, Nicolas de Heu.
Final Years
The precise circumstances of his death remain a subject of historical inference. In a 1530 foreword written in Metz, he expressed a desire for a short duration of remaining life. A subsequent 1532 foreword by Otto Brunfels mentioned that Fries had been commissioned to finalize corrections to the Spiegel der Arznei before his death. Based on these documents, scholars conclude he died in Metz between July 1530 and May 1532.
Fast facts
- Born: 1490
- Died: 1532, Metz
- Citizenship: Holy Roman Empire
- Primary Occupations: Physician, astrologer, cartographer
- Key Publication: Spiegel der Arznei
- Collaboration: Johannes Grüninger
- Language: Latin
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the Spiegel der Arznei?
It served as one of the earliest medical manuals written in the German language.
Why did Lorenz Fries leave Strasbourg?
He moved in 1525 due to the city's shift toward Protestantism, as he remained a follower of the Roman Church.
Achievements
- Recorded as author, astrologer and physician
