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The title page of the *Urania propitia* by Maria Cunitz, 1650.

Maria Cunitz (other versions of surname include: Cunitia, Cunitiae, Kunicia, Kunic) (1610 – August 22, 1664) was an accomplished German astronomer^[1],The Schientific revolution, 2001</ref>,^[2] and due to her living as refugee in Poland for a few years now sometimes referred to as Polish Maria Kunicka^[3]^[4]-. She was born and died in the Holy Roman Empire in Silesia^[5] astronomer from Lower Silesia, and one of the most notable female astronomers of the modern era. She authored a book Urania propitia, in which she provided new tables, new ephemera, and a more elegant solution to "Kepler's Problem," which involves the maximum density of spheres in a three-dimensional space. The Cunitz crater on Venus is named after her.

Personal life

Cunitz was born in Wohlau (Wołów)^[6] as the eldest daughter of Dr. Heinrich Cunitz and his wife Maria, the daughter of Liegnitz-Brieger councilman Anton von Scholtz. The family eventually moved to Schweidnitz (Świdnica). At an early age Maria married the jurist David von Gerstmann. After his death she married Elias a Leonibus (Dr. Elias Lewin (Loewen) of Pitschen (Byczyna). Maria became a widow in 1661, and died at Pitschen in 1664. Her most significant work was composed on the estate of the Cistercian convent of Ołobok near Kalisz, where, with her husband, she had taken refuge at the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War. The work was dedicated to Emperor Ferdinand III.

Accomplishments

The publication of the book Urania propitia (Oels-Silesia, 1650) gained Cunitz a European reputation. Significantly for a technical publication of that period, it was written both in Latin and German (stating that it was to increase the accessibility to her work). Urania propitia was a a simplification of the Rudolphine Tables. It provided new tables, new ephemera, and a more elegant solution to "Kepler's Problem," which involves the maximum density of spheres in a three-dimensional space.

Because of her many talents and accomplishments, Cunitz was called the "Silesian Pallas". She is also considered to be the first Polish woman astronomer.^[3]In his 1727 book Educated Silesian Women and Female Poets, Johan Kaspar Elberti wrote that

(Maria) Cunicia or Cunitzin was the daughter of the famous Henrici Cunitii. She was a well-educated woman, like a queen among the Silesian womanhood. She was able to converse in 7 languages, German, Italian, French, Polish, Latin, Greek and Hebrew, was an experienced musician and an accomplished painter. She was a dedicated astrologist and especially enjoyed astronomical problems.

The minor planet 12624 Mariacunitia is named in her honour.^[7]

Literatur

Margarethe Arndt (1986), "Die Astronomin Maria Cunitz", Jahrbuch der Schlesischen Friedrich Wilhelm Universität zu Breslau, no. 3, pp. 87–97
Johann C. Eberti (2004), Eröffnetes Cabinet dess gelehrten Frauen-Zimmers. Darinnen die berühmtesten dieses Geschlechtes, München: Iudicium, ISBN 3-89129-998-2(Repr. d. Ausg. "Schlesiens hoch- und wohlgelahrtes Frauen-Zimmer", Breslau 1727), S. 25-28.
Ingrid Guentherodt (1991), "Maria Cunitia. Urania propitia; Intendiertes, erwartetes und tatsächliches Lesepublikum einer Astronomin des 17. Jh.", Daphnis. Zeitschrift für mittlere deutsche Literatur, no. 20, pp. 311–353
Ingrid Guentherodt (1991), "Frühe Spuren von Maria Cunitia und Daniel Czepko in Schweidnitz 1623", Daphnis. Zeitschrift für mittlere deutsche Literatur, no. 20, pp. 547–584
Paul Knötel (1928), Friedrich Andreae (ed.), "Maria Cunitia", Schlesier des 17. bis 19. Jahrhunderts, Schlesische Lebensbilder, no. 3, Breslau, pp. 61–65
Elias a Leonibus, Brief vom 2. Dezember 1651 an Johannes Hevelius. Original in der Bibliothèque de l’Observatoire de Paris, Signatur C1, Tome 2, N° 260, deutsche Übersetzung von Frau Clavuot-Lutz
K. Liwowsky (2008), Einige Neuigkeiten zur Familie der Schlesierin Maria Cunitz (2. ed.)
Johann Ephraim Scheibel (1798), "Nachrichten von der Frau von Lewen geb. Cunitzin", Astronomische Bibliographie, der 3. Abteilung, zweite Fortsetzung, Schriften aus dem siebzehnten Jahrhundert von 1631 bis 1650 aus der Reihe Einleitung zur mathematischen Bücherkenntnis, no. 20, Breslau, pp. 361–378
Julius Schmidt (1829), "Die Lichtensteiner in Schweidnitz 1629", Schlesische Provinzialblätter, no. 116, pp. 105–120

References

^ The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science , 2000
^ Chronology of women's history, 1994
^ ^a ^b Storm Dunlop, Michèle Gerbaldi, "Stargazers: the contribution of amateurs to astronomy", Springer-Verlag, 1988, pg. 40
^ Margaret Alic, "Hypatia's heritage: a history of women in science from antiquity through the nineteenth century", Beacon Press, 1986, pg. 120
^ H. J. Mozans, John Augustine Zahm, "Woman in science", Appleton, 1913, pg. 170
^ Locations during her life on Map 1645 Silesia
^ http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/lists/NumberedMPs010001.html

External links

Digital-Library of Wroclaw
Web page on Maria Cunitz at University of Florida
O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Maria Cunitz", MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, University of St Andrews
Adolf Schimmelpfennig (1876), "Cunitz, Maria", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 4, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, p. 641
Zedler Zedler's Universallexikon, Bd. 15, Sp. 2134f, Stichwort: Kunitzin

[1] The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science , 2000

[2] Chronology of women's history, 1994

[gazers-3] Storm Dunlop, Michèle Gerbaldi, "Stargazers: the contribution of amateurs to astronomy", Springer-Verlag, 1988, pg. 40

[4] Margaret Alic, "Hypatia's heritage: a history of women in science from antiquity through the nineteenth century", Beacon Press, 1986, pg. 120

[5] H. J. Mozans, John Augustine Zahm, "Woman in science", Appleton, 1913, pg. 170

[6] Locations during her life on Map 1645 Silesia

[7] ttp://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/lists/NumberedMPs010001.html

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Image:Urania.propitia.png|thumb|right|The title page of the ''Urania propitia'' by Maria Cunitz, 1650.]]
-'''Maria Cunitz''' or '''Maria Kunicka''' (other versions of surname include: ''Cunitia, Cunitiae, Kunicia, Kunic'') (1610 &ndash; [[August 22]], [[1664]]) was an accomplished Polish<ref name="gazers">Storm Dunlop, Michèle Gerbaldi, "Stargazers: the contribution of amateurs to astronomy", Springer-Verlag, 1988, pg. 40</ref><ref>Margaret Alic, "Hypatia's heritage: a history of women in science from antiquity through the nineteenth century", Beacon Press, 1986, pg. 120</ref>-Silesian<ref>H. J. Mozans, John Augustine Zahm, "Woman in science", Appleton, 1913, pg. 170</ref> [[astronomer]] from [[Lower Silesia]], and one of the most notable female astronomers of the modern era. She authored a book ''Urania propitia'', in which she provided new tables, new ephemera, and a more elegant solution to "[[Kepler]]'s Problem," which involves the maximum density of spheres in a three-dimensional space. The [[Cunitz (crater)|Cunitz crater]] on [[Venus]] is named after her.
+'''Maria Cunitz'''  (other versions of surname include: ''Cunitia, Cunitiae, Kunicia, Kunic'') (1610 &ndash; [[August 22]], [[1664]]) was an accomplished German astronomer<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?as_q=Maria+Cunitz+German+astronomer&num=10&lr=&as_brr=0&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES&lr=&as_vt=&as_auth=&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_isbn=&as_issn= The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science , 2000]</ref>,[http://books.google.com/books?as_q=Maria+Cunitz+German+astronomer&num=10&lr=&as_brr=0&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES&lr=&as_vt=&as_auth=&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_isbn=&as_issn= The Schientific revolution, 2001]</ref>,<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?as_q=Maria+Cunitz+German+astronomer&num=10&lr=&as_brr=0&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES&lr=&as_vt=&as_auth=&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_isbn=&as_issn= Chronology of women's history, 1994]</ref> and due to her living as refugee in Poland for a few years now sometimes referred to as Polish Maria Kunicka<ref name="gazers">Storm Dunlop, Michèle Gerbaldi, "Stargazers: the contribution of amateurs to astronomy", Springer-Verlag, 1988, pg. 40</ref><ref>Margaret Alic, "Hypatia's heritage: a history of women in science from antiquity through the nineteenth century", Beacon Press, 1986, pg. 120</ref>-. She was born and died in the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in [[Silesia]]<ref>H. J. Mozans, John Augustine Zahm, "Woman in science", Appleton, 1913, pg. 170</ref> [[astronomer]] from [[Lower Silesia]], and one of the most notable female astronomers of the modern era. She authored a book ''Urania propitia'', in which she provided new tables, new ephemera, and a more elegant solution to "[[Kepler]]'s Problem," which involves the maximum density of spheres in a three-dimensional space. The [[Cunitz (crater)|Cunitz crater]] on [[Venus]] is named after her.
 ==Personal life==
-Cunitz was born in [[Wołów|Wohlau (Wołów)]]<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blaeu_1645_-_Nova_totius_Germani%C3%A6_descriptio.jpg Locations during her life on Map 1645 Silesia]</ref> as the eldest daughter of Dr. Heinrich Cunitz and his wife Maria, the daughter of Liegnitz-Brieger councilman Anton von Scholtz. The family eventually moved to [[Schweidnitz]] (Świdnica). At an early age Maria married the jurist David von Gerstmann. After his death she married Elias a Leonibus (Dr. [[Eliasz Kreczmar]] of [[Pitschen]] (Byczyna). Maria became a widow in 1661, and died at Pitschen in 1664. Her most significant work was composed on the estate of the [[Cistercian convent]] of [[Ołobok]] near [[Kalisz]], where, with her husband, she had taken refuge at the outbreak of the [[Thirty Years' War]]. The work was dedicated to Emperor [[Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand III]].
+Cunitz was born in [[Wołów|Wohlau (Wołów)]]<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blaeu_1645_-_Nova_totius_Germani%C3%A6_descriptio.jpg Locations during her life on Map 1645 Silesia]</ref> as the eldest daughter of Dr. Heinrich Cunitz and his wife Maria, the daughter of Liegnitz-Brieger councilman Anton von Scholtz. The family eventually moved to [[Schweidnitz]] (Świdnica). At an early age Maria married the jurist David von Gerstmann. After his death she married Elias a Leonibus (Dr. [[Elias Lewin]] (Loewen) of [[Pitschen]] (Byczyna). Maria became a widow in 1661, and died at Pitschen in 1664. Her most significant work was composed on the estate of the [[Cistercian convent]] of [[Ołobok]] near [[Kalisz]], where, with her husband, she had taken refuge at the outbreak of the [[Thirty Years' War]]. The work was dedicated to Emperor [[Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand III]].
 ==Accomplishments==