Ole Worm (1588-1654) Ole Worm was born in Århus, where he attended the city's grammar school, which was known for its humanist traditions. At the age of 13 he was sent to Germany to continue his education, first at the high school in Lüneburg, and later in the Hanseatic town of Emmerich, where he had family. All of his subsequent university education was also received abroad.   Ole Worm, by Ole Haslund, undated. Copy after Karel van Mander III. (The Museum of Danish History in Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerød) Studying in Germany and Switzerland In 1605 he commenced theological studies in Marburg, and later in Giessen, but after two years he decided to specialize in medicine. In the spring of 1607 he was studying in Strasbourg, and then later in Basel, where he studied under a physician who possessed an outstanding collection of natural history specimens, of which some had been inherited from the pre-eminent collector Conrad Gesner (1516-65). It was also here in Basel that Ole Worm became acquainted with that branch of medicine known as iatrochemistry, and first encountered the ideas of Theophrastus Paracelsus (1490-1541) - which were aimed at finding the chemical element that would cure all illnesses. From a botanist Worm learned the significance of collecting plants systematically, as well as the principle that direct observation is the basis of scientific advancement. Studying in Italy, and the return home In common with many other physicians of the period, Worm finished his studies in Padua - from autumn 1608 to spring 1609. It was here that he became friends with Caspar Bartholin (1585-1629). Later he travelled south to Naples, where he met the famous naturalist collector Ferrante Imperato (1550-1615). During his visit in the summer to Bologna he visited the Botanical Gardens created by Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605). Worm utilized Aldrovandi's work, Historia Naturalis, frequently later on in his life. Afterwards Ole Worm travelled to France, and then on his journey home he stayed briefly in the Low Countries, where visited the well-known collector Bernhard Paludanus (1550-1633) in Enkhuizen. He was back in Denmark in the summer of 1610. Further studies abroad Ole Worm was a practising physician, but wanted to improve his knowledge of chemistry, so in the spring of 1611 he set out once more. First to Marburg and later to Kassel, where at the court of Elector Moritz the Learned (1592-1627) he was able to witness for the first time the scholarly milieu of a kunstkammer with its affiliated royal workshops and chemistry laboratory. In December he was in Basel, where he received his doctorate in medicine. His travels took him through Holland to England, where he was working for some time. Professor Worm In July 1613 Worm was recalled from England and appointed Professor of Latin at the University of Copenhagen. He lived and stayed in Copenhagen for the rest of his life. He was married in 1615 to a daughter of the senior Professor of Medicine, Thomas Fincke (1561-1656), becoming at the same time brother-in-law to his friend Caspar Bartholin. Worm was later to become Professor of Greek, Physics, and finally in 1624 received a chair in his original subject, medicine. Added to this, Worm served as Rector of the University several times, the first time being in 1627 and the last in 1654. Research Ole Worm won nation-wide renown as the founding-father of research into Danish runic inscriptions. Among his works were Fasti Danici (on the almanac system), Danicorum Monumentorum libri sex (a compilation of all the known runic inscriptions in Denmark, Norway and Gotland), and the book about the Golden Horn found in 1639. In addition he published a series of medico-scientific writings, and among his many medical theses there are also to be found topics drawn from his own natural history collection - such as the tusk of a narwhale (unicorn's horn), the Norwegian lemming and the bird of paradise. Museum Wormianum Ole Worm commenced his systematic collecting activities in 1621 when he took over the chair of Physics and introduced instruction by the study of objects at the university. For the rest of his life he continually added to his collection, which is described in 'Museum Wormianum', published in 1655 after his death. Frederik III purchased the collection and it subsequently entered the Royal Kunstkammer. As well as being a professor, a writer and a collector, Ole Worm served throughout all the many years as a doctor to all levels of society - from royalty to the most poverty-stricken in Copenhagen. He remained in the capital during several epidemics of plague in order to tend his patients. He died during one such epidemic in the summer of 1654 - of a bladder disease. To previous page Museum Wormianum Download the complete text about Ole Worm Get Acrobat Reader Acrobat Reader is required to open the download text. The program is free and can be downloaded here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html