Albrecht von Eyb
Albrecht von Eyb was a notable figure in the German humanist movement, born in 1420 near Ansbach, Bavaria. He pursued an extensive study of religion at the University of Erfurt, which he left temporarily due to his father's passing. In 1444, he became a canon at the cathedral in Eichstätt but later relocated to Italy, where he studied at prestigious institutions like Pavia, Bologna, and Padua, earning a doctorate in canon and civil law in 1455. Influenced by renowned scholars such as Cato Sacco and Baldassare Rasino, Eyb developed a significant focus on marriage, culminating in his renowned work, the *Ehebüchlein*, published in 1464. This text examined marriage from a humanist perspective, reflecting Eyb's broader contributions to rhetoric, ethics, and translations, including adaptations of Plautus's comedies. Despite his scholarly achievements, many aspects of Eyb's life and writings have been obscured over time due to incomplete records and revisions. By the time of his death in 1475, he had attained notable positions, including chamberlain to Pius II and archdeacon of Würzburg, demonstrating his significant role in the cultural and religious landscape of the time.
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Albrecht von Eyb
Writer
- Born: August 24, 1420
- Birthplace: Schloss Sommersdorf (near Ansbach), Bavaria
- Died: July 23 or 24, 1475
- Place of death: Germany
Biography
Born in 1420 near Ansbach, Bavaria, Albrecht von Eyb studied religion extensively at the University of Erfurt, where he stop studying only to grieve his father’s death. In 1444 he was named canon at the cathedral in Eichstätt but soon moved to Italy, where he would spend most of the remainder of his life. In Italy he studied at Pavia, Bologna, and Padua, earning a degree of doctor of canon and civil law from Pavia in 1455. There he was taught by Cato Sacco and Baldassare Rasino both of whom influenced him greatly.
Upon his return to Eichstätt, Eyb worked as a legal advisor to numerous political and religious figures and entities but also to women in affairs of marriage. It was in the area of marriage that Eyb gained particular expertise, which he used in writing his most famous work, the 1464 Ehebüchlein, a book that discussed the merits of marriage from a humanist perspective. Eyb’s literary career and his career as a humanist involved several textbooks of rhetoric on morals and ethics and several German translations of other works (Plautus’s comedies among them); he was an accomplished scholar. Unfortunately, though, many details of Eyb’s life and many of his works were lost or went through haphazard editions and revisions that distorted or misrepresented his beliefs. It is known, however, that Eyb was one of the very first German humanists who combined medieval notions with humanist traditions. He died in 1475 at the age of fifty-four. By the time of his death he had been appointed a chamberlain to Pius II and had served as archdeacon of Würzburg, despite violent opposition.