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SLEIDANUS, JOHANNES (15o6-1556)

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Originally appearing in Volume V25, Page 241 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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SLEIDANUS, JOHANNES (15o6-1556) , See also:German historian, the annalist of the See also:Reformation, was See also:born at See also:Schleiden near See also:Aix-la-Chapelle. He studied See also:ancient See also:languages and literatures at See also:Liege and See also:Cologne, and See also:law and See also:jurisprudence at See also:Paris and See also:Orleans. Whilst among the humanists of Liege, he had adopted See also:Protestant opinions, and entering the service of See also:Cardinal du Bellay, was employed in the futile negotiations of the See also:French See also:court to make an See also:alliance with the German Protestants against the See also:emperor See also:Charles V. In 1542 he settled at See also:Strassburg. Sleidanus had been accustomed to copy all papers bearing upon the Reformation to which he had See also:access, and See also:Martin See also:Bucer, who had seen his collection, proposed to See also:Philip of See also:Hesse to appoint him historian of the Reformation, giving him a See also:salary and access to all necessary documents. After some delay the heads of the See also:league of See also:Schmalkalden agreed to the proposal, and Sleidanus began his See also:great See also:work, See also:finishing the first See also:volume in 1545. In that See also:year-he was recalled to See also:diplomacy, and went to See also:England in a French See also:embassy to See also:Henry VIII. While there he collected materials for his See also:history. On his return he represented Strassburg at the diets of See also:Frankfort and See also:Worms, and went on to See also:Marburg to explore the archives of Philip of Hesse. The See also:war of the league of Schmalkalden interfered with this work, and also prevented the See also:payment of Sleidanus, who in his difficulties applied to England for aid, and at See also:Cranmer's intercession received a yearly See also:pension from See also:Edward VI., which, however, was not See also:long continued. In 1551 Sleidanus went to the See also:council of See also:Trent as representative from Strassburg, charged also with full See also:powers to See also:act for the imperial cities of See also:Esslingen, See also:Ravensburg, See also:Reutlingen, See also:Biberach and See also:Lindau. He was afterwards appointed See also:professor of law in Strassburg, and finished his great task in 1554, though lack of See also:money and other misfortunes compelled him to delay See also:printing.

Sleidanus died in poverty at Strassburg in See also:

October 1556. The See also:book appeared in the preceding year—Commentariorum de statu religionis et reipublicae, Carolo V. Caesare, libri XX VI.; it was translated into See also:English by See also:John Daws in 156o and by G. Bohum in 1689. It was so impartial that it pleased no one, not even See also:Melanchthon. It remains the most valuable contemporary history of the times of the Reformation, and contains the largest collection of important documents. See H. See also:Baumgarten, Ober Sleidanus Leben and Briefwechsel (1878), and Sleidans Briefwechsel (1881); and A. Hasenclever, Sleidan-Studien (See also:Bonn, 1905).

End of Article: SLEIDANUS, JOHANNES (15o6-1556)

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