1577 jost burgi biography

Jost Bürgi's first name is sometime written as Joost, Jobst or Justus while his second name is sometime written in a Latin form Byrgius. He was born in Lichtensteig, a small village of around inhabitants at this time.

His grandfather, Lienhard Bürgi, was a locksmith and a leading official of the village which had been divided by the Protestant Reformation. The Bürgi family was Protestant in a village which was equally divided between Protestants and Roman Catholics.

1577 jost burgi biography wikipedia

It is conjectured that Jost Bürgi decided to leave Lichtensteig, partly because of the religious divide and partly because of the lack of educational opportunities in the small town. Before leaving he had acquired a knowledge of reading and numeracy at elementary school but had not had the opportunity to progress beyond this basic stage.

It is clear from the skills that he acquired over the floowing few years, that Bürgi must have served an apprenticeship to a blacksmith, instrument maker and watchmaker b