Johannes Aventinus (July 4, 1477, Abensberg – January 9, 1534) was a Bavarian historian and philologist. He wrote Annals of Bavaria, a valuable record of the early history of Germany.[1] His real name was Johann Georg Turmair (or Thurmayr); Aventinus is the Latin name of his birthplace, Abensberg.[2]
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Having studied at Ingolstadt, Vienna, Cracow and Paris, he returned to Ingolstadt in 1507, and in 1509 was appointed tutor to Louis and Ernest, the two younger brothers of William IV, Duke of Bavaria, all three the sons of Albert the Wise, the late duke of Bavaria. Aventinus retained this position until 1517, wrote a Latin grammar (Rudimenta grammaticae latinae; 1512) and other manuals for the use of his pupils, and in 1515 travelled in Italy with Ernest. In his zeal for learning, he helped found the Sodalitas litteraria Angilostadensis, under the auspices of which several old manuscripts were brought to light; however, it soon ceased to exist (1520).[2][3]
In 1517, William appointed him as Bavaria's official historian and commissioned him to write a history of the country.[3] Many of the important authorities which Aventinus collected for this purpose have been preserved only in his copies. He embodied a critical treatment of them in a complete history of Bavaria, Annales Bojorum (Annals of Bavaria). His condensed German version of it, the Bayerische Chronik, is the first important history in the German language.[3]
Aventinus remained a Catholic throughout his life, even though he sympathized with aspects of the Protestant reform.[2] He was in communication with Philipp Melanchthon and Martin Luther. He rejected auricular confession, objected to pilgrimages and indulgences, and opposed the claims of the hierarchy as excessive.[3] He showed a strong dislike for monks. On this account, he was imprisoned in 1528, but his friends soon effected his release. The remainder of his life was somewhat unsettled, and he died at Regensburg.[2]
The Annals, which are in seven books, deal with the history of Bavaria in conjunction with general history from the earliest times to 1460, and the author shows sympathy for the Empire in its struggle with the Papacy. He took pains with his work, and to some degree anticipated the modern historiography.[2] Another result of his nonconformity was that the Annals were not published until 1554.[3] Many passages were omitted in this Ingolstadt edition, as they reflected on the Roman Catholics.
A more complete edition was published at Basel in 1580 by Nicholas Cisner. Aventinus, who has been called the "Bavarian Herodotus," wrote other books of lesser importance, and a complete edition of his works was published at Munich (1881–1886).[2]
Ludwig I of Bavaria had Aventinus' bust erected in the Walhalla temple. There is a German wheat beer named after him, made by G. Schneider & Son.