Caspar Vopel
Caspar Vopel (1511–1561) was a German cartographer and instrument maker. Caspar Vopel was born in Medebach, he studied mathematics and medicine at the University of Cologne in 1526–1529. He taught mathematics at the Gymnasium of Cologne and in the early 1530s established a workshop to produce celestial and terrestrial globes, armillary spheres, sundials, quadrants and astrolabes.
Caspar Vopel
Heinrich Pantaleon · Public domain
- Born
- 1511 · Medebach.
- Died
- 1561 · Cologne.
- Nationality
- Germany
- Occupation
- mathematician · astronomer · instrument maker · cartographer · draftsperson
- Languages
- German
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Caspar Vopel (1511–1561) was a German cartographer and instrument maker. Caspar Vopel was born in Medebach, he studied mathematics and medicine at the University of Cologne in 1526–1529. He taught mathematics at the Gymnasium of Cologne and in the early 1530s established a workshop to produce celestial and terrestrial globes, armillary spheres, sundials, quadrants and astrolabes.
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wikidata · Q1048065 · wikipedia · Caspar Vopel
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Biography
Biography
Vopel is sometimes credited with the promotion of the ancient asterism Coma Berenices to constellation status. An exemplar of Vopel’s 1536 globe is held at Tenri University Library, Nara. Vopel’s 1536 globe was copied on the 1552 globe of Jacques de la Garde of Blois, on the globe made by Jean Naze of Lyon in 1560, on Christoph Schniepp’s globe of c.1600, on the 1603 Nicolai Globe and on the Oterschaden globe of similar date. In 1545 he began to prepare maps and atlases. His mappemonde of 1545 is titled NOVA ET INTEGRA VNIVERSALISQVE ORBIS TOTIVS IVXTA GERMANVM NEOTERICORVM TRADITIONEM DESCRIPTIO (A New Complete and Universal Description of the Whole World, according to the Modern German Tradition). An inscription on it describes America and its people drawn from the Mundus Novus:
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1511
Caspar Vopel was born in 1511 at Medebach.
1561
Caspar Vopel died in 1561 at Cologne.
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Medebach.
Birth place
Cologne.
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Caspar Vopel is recorded as mathematician, astronomer, instrument maker, cartographer and draftsperson. Holdings and surviving copies.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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