Peucer, Kaspar

Peucer, Kaspar a German theologian of the Reformation period, was born January 6, 1525, at Bautzen, and studied at the school in Goldberg and the University of Wittenberg, where he was the table and house companion of the Reformer Melancthon, who afterwards became his father-in-law. Well educated and remarkably talented, he became in 1545 a magister, in 1554 ordinary professor of mathematics, in 1560 professor of medicine. Some time after this he was introduced to the personal attention of the elector Augustus of Saxony;who was so pleased with Peucer that he put him in charge of the Saxon high school. Peucer, greatly interested in the theological controversies of his day, avowed Philippism (q.v.), and used his influence for its propagation in Saxony, and thus arrayed the strongly Lutheran elector against him. Peucer was imprisoned from 1575 until 1586. .e died September 25, 1602. He left a large number of medical, mathematical, historical, theological, and philological writings. See Henke, Kaspar Peucer u. Nic. Krell (Barb. 1865); Calinich, Kampf u. Untergang des Melancithonismus in Kursachsen (Leips. 1866) ; also the art. SEE CRYPTO-CALVINISTIC CONTROVERSY.,