View source for Johannes Aventinus

{{short description|Bavarian Renaissance humanist historian and philologist (1477-1534)}}
{{Other uses|Aventinus (disambiguation){{!}}Aventinus}}
[[Image:Johannes Aventinus.jpg|thumb|Johannes Aventinus<br /><small>''illustration from 19th&nbsp;century''</small>]]
'''Johann Georg Turmair''' (or '''Thurmayr''') (4 July 1477&nbsp;&ndash; 9 January 1534), known by the [[pen name]] '''Johannes Aventinus''' ([[Medieval Latin|Latin]] for "John of [[Abensberg]]") or '''Aventin''',<ref name="eb1911">{{EB1911 |inline=y |wstitle=Aventinus |volume=3|page=53}}</ref> was a [[Bavaria]]n [[Renaissance humanism|Renaissance humanist]] [[historian]] and [[philologist]]. He authored the 1523 ''Annals of Bavaria'', a valuable record of the early history of Germany.<ref>James Wood, ed., [http://www.fromoldbooks.org/Wood-NuttallEncyclopaedia/a/aventinus.html ''The Nuttall Encyclopædia''], 1907; a modern biography in English is G. Strauss, ''Historian in an age of crisis: the life and work of Johannes Aventinus, 1477-1534'', 1963.</ref>

==Tutor==
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 IV, Duke of Bavaria|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 traveled in Italy with Ernest.  In his zeal for learning, he helped found the Sodalitas litteraria Angilostadensis, the "literary brotherhood of Ingolstadt", under the auspices of which several old manuscripts were brought to light;<ref name="eb1911"/> however, it soon ceased to exist (1520).<ref name="cathency"/>

==Historian of Bavaria==
In 1517, William appointed him as Bavaria's official historian and commissioned him to write a history of the country.<ref name="cathency">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Johannes Thurmayr}}</ref>  Many of the important authorities that 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.<ref name="cathency"/>

==The Reformation==
Aventinus remained a Catholic throughout his life, even though he sympathized with aspects of the Protestant reform.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} He was in communication with [[Philipp Melanchthon]] and [[Martin Luther]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}} He rejected auricular confession, objected to pilgrimages and indulgences, and opposed the claims of the hierarchy as excessive.<ref name="cathency"/> 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.<ref name="eb1911"/>

==''Annals of Bavaria''==
The ''Annals'', which are in seven volumes, 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.<ref name="eb1911"/> Another result of his nonconformity was that the ''Annals'' were not published until 1554.<ref name="cathency"/> Many passages were omitted in this Ingolstadt edition, as they reflected on the Roman Catholics.<ref name="eb1911"/>

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).<ref name="eb1911"/>

In his ''Annals'', Aventinus preserved some of the text of the now lost 8th-century chronicle of [[Creontius]].

===Teutonic genealogy===
In his ''Chronik'', Aventinus  fabricated a  succession of Teutonic kings stretching back to the [[Deluge myth|Great Flood]], ruling over vast swathes of Germany and surrounding regions until the 1st century BC, and involving themselves in numerous events from Biblical and  Classical history.

These rulers and their exploits are mostly fictitious, though some are derived from mythological, legendary or historical figures. Examples of the latter are Boiger, Kels II and Teutenbuecher, whose joint reign is given as 127–100 BC, and who are based on King Boiorix of the Cimbri, the unnamed king of the Ambrones, and King Teutobod of the Teutons.

{{legend|border=1px #aaa solid|#FFE8E8|''Dynasty of Tuitsch''}}
{{legend|border=1px #aaa solid|#DDEEFF|''Dynasty of Mader''}}
{{legend|border=1px #aaa solid|#CCFFCC|''Dynasty of Brenner III''}}
{{legend|border=1px #aaa solid|#FFFFFF|''Unknown dynastic affiliation''}}

{| class="wikitable"
!width="267px"|Ruler
!width="266px"|Ruler
!width="267px"|Ruler
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''[[Tuisto|Tuitsch]]''' 2214–2038
|'''Adalger''' 1377–1328
|style="background: #DDEEFF;"|'''Mader''' 644–589
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''[[Mannus]]''' 1978–1906
|'''[[Laertes (father of Odysseus)|Larein]]''' 1328–1277
|style="background: #DDEEFF;"|'''Brenner II''' & '''Koenman''' 589–479
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''[[Ingaevones|Eingeb]]''' 1906–1870
|'''[[Odysseus|Ylsing]]''' 1277–1224
|style="background: #FFFFFF;"|'''Landein''', '''Antör''' & '''Rögör''' 479–399
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''[[Istvaeones|Ausstaeb]]''' 1870–1820
|'''Brenner I''' 1224–1186
|style="background: #CCFFCC;"|'''[[Brennus (4th century BC)|Brenner III]]''' 399–361
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''[[Irminones|Herman]]''' 1820–1757
|'''[[Hector|Heccar]]''' 1186–1155
|style="background: #CCFFCC;"|'''Schirm''' & '''[[Brennus (3rd century BC)|Brenner IV]]''' 361–263
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''Mers''' 1757–1711
|'''Frank''' 1155–1114
|style="background: #CCFFCC;"|'''Thessel''', '''Lauther''' & '''Euring''' 279–194
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''Gampar''' 1711–1667
|'''Wolfheim Siclinger''' 1114–1056
|style="background: #CCFFCC;"|'''Dieth I''' & '''Diethmer''' 194–172
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''Schwab''' 1667–1621
|'''Kels I''', '''Gal''' & '''Hillyr''' 1056–1006
|style="background: #FFFFFF;"|'''Baermund''' & '''Synpol''' 172–127
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''Wandler''' 1621–1580
|'''Alber''' (& six unnamed others) 1006–946
|style="background: #FFFFFF;"|'''[[Boiorix|Boiger]]''', '''Kels II''' & '''[[Teutobod|Teutenbuecher]]''' 127–100
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''Deuto''' 1580–1553
|'''Walther''', '''Panno''' & '''Schard''' 946–884
|style="background: #FFFFFF;"|'''Scheirer''' 100–70
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''Alman''' 1553–1489
|'''Main''', '''Öngel''' & '''Treibl''' 884–814
|style="background: #FFFFFF;"|'''[[Ariovistus|Ernst]]''' & '''Vocho''' 70–50
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''Baier''' 1489–1429
|style="background: #FFFFFF;"|'''Myela''', '''Laber''' & '''Penno''' 814–714
|style="background: #FFFFFF;"|'''Pernpeist''' 50–40
|- valign=top bgcolor="#FFE8E8"
|'''Ingram''' 1429–1377
|style="background: #FFFFFF;"|'''Venno''' & '''Helto''' 714–644
|style="background: #FFFFFF;"|'''Cotz''', '''Dieth II''' & '''Creitschir''' c. 40–13
|}

== Legacy ==
[[Ludwig I of Bavaria]] had Aventinus' bust erected in the [[Walhalla temple]].
There is a [[Aventinus (beer)|German wheat beer]] named after him, made by G. Schneider & Son.

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{wikisourcelang-inline|de|Johannes Aventinus}}
* [http://hos.ou.edu/galleries//16thCentury/Aventinus/ Online Galleries, History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816002703/http://hos.ou.edu/galleries//16thCentury/Aventinus/ |date=2014-08-16 }} High resolution images of works by and/or portraits of Johannes Aventinus in .jpg and .tiff format.

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |editor-last=Beck |editor-first=Heinrich |editor2-last=Geuenich |editor2-first=Dieter |editor3-last=Steuer |editor3-first=Heiko |editor4-last=Hakelberg |editor4-first=Dietrich |year=2004 |title=Zur Geschichte der Gleichung "germanisch – deutsch": Sprache und Namen, Geschichte und Institutionen |trans-title=History of the Equation "Germanic = German": Language and Names, History and Institutions |series=Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde – Ergänzungsbände |location=Berlin |publisher=W. De Gruyter |isbn= 9783110175363 |oclc=54825128}}
* {{NDB|1|469|470|Aventinus|Georg Leidinger|11850522X}}
* Eberhard Dünninger: ''Johannes Aventinus: Leben und Werk des Bayerischen Geschichtschreibers'', Förg, Rosenheim 1977, {{ISBN|3-475-52190-3}}
* Bayerische Landesbibliothek Online (BLO): Aventinus: Works: https://www.bayerische-landesbibliothek-online.de/aventinus-works
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aventinus, Johannes}}
[[Category:1477 births]]
[[Category:1534 deaths]]
[[Category:16th-century writers in Latin]]
[[Category:16th-century German historians]]
[[Category:German Renaissance humanists]]
[[Category:People from the Duchy of Bavaria]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Ingolstadt]]
[[Category:German male non-fiction writers]]