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Historian and educator Christoph Hartknoch (1644 - 1687) was born in 1644 in Jablonken (Jabłonków) in the Ortelsburg Szczytno region of Ducal Prussia. He was the son of Stephan Hartknoch of Lyck (Elk), who is recorded to have been married for 100 years and to have lived to 130. In 1650 the family moved to Passenheim (Pasym) and there witnessed the brutality and horrors of the Tatar attacks. His life was saved by his teacher, who shoved him out the window. Villages were destroyed and Hartknoch made it to Königsberg.

In Königsberg he started studying theology at a Protestant institute. Soon after his parents died and he had to take on jobs. He became a privat teacher in Kaunas (Kowno) and then rector in the Protestant school in Vilnius (Wilno). He soon returned to Königsberg where some books and records got him interested in history.

In 1679 he published a book in Latin about Prussian history and later in German, Alt- und Neues Preussen, as well as Prussian church history (Kirchen-Historia). The works are accompanied by descriptions and illustrations of Prussian people, history and culture as well as copper etching illustrations of cities in Prussia.

His work in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Kaunas and Vilnius awoke his interest in their history as well. He then wrote a comprehensive work on the commonwealth spanning 300 years, the first of its kind.

The city of Thorn had become for the most part Protestant. In 1677 Hartknoch had been invited to become director at the Thorn Gymnasium. There he worked for ten years. Due to living through years of Tatar attacks and the resulting poverty Christoph Hartknoch's body gave up at age 43 and he died in Thorn, where he was then buried.

His extensive scientific body of works were a great contribution to the knowledge about Prussia, Pomerania, Samogitia, Courland (Couronia) and Poland.

Nicolaus Copernicus Portrait

In his book on Prussian history Hartknoch also features an illustration of Nicolaus Copernicus. Hartknoch wrote: Von den Städten und Schlössern. Der berühmte Mathematicus Nicolas Copernicus (About the cities and castles. The famous mathematician Nicolas Copernicus).

This was written at a late time in Hartknoch's life and at a time when he was director at the Thorn Gymnasium.

• 1644 births
• 1687 deaths