His birth name was Georg Pawer or Georg Bauer (in modern German).

He was the author of scientific works in the field of metallurgy, medicine, philosophy and history. Agricola was born at Glachau in Saxony on March 24, 1494 in the tailor's family. He studied theology, philology, philosophy and received the bachelor's degree in University of Leipzig.

In 1518 he became the principal of state school of Zwickau. From 1520 to 1526 Agricola was studying at the universities of Leipzig, Bologna and Padua where received doctor's degrees. Agricola studied mineralogy, philosophy and medicine, and also works of antique and Arabic authors (Aristotle, Theophrastus, Strabo, Pliny, Avicenna, etc.).

In 1527 Agricola returned to Saxony and took up a post of the city doctor in Joachimsthal (now it is the Czech town Jáchymov) located in the center of area of mining industry. Having married and received the share fraction of silver mine for a portion, Agricola was completely concentrated on researches in the field of studying minerals, mining and metallurgical production.

In 1531 Georgius Agricola moved to Chemnitz (Saxony), where he was appointed city physician, burgomaster, and also court historian of Duke Maurice of Saxony. Chemnitz was the city where he began to write his magnum opus «De Re Metallica Libri XII» published in 1556 in Basel after his death. “De re metallica” consists of 12 books.

The first volume contains comparison of mining with other industries. In the second one, conditions of mining development are considered. The third volume deals with mine surveying. In the fourth one, it is told about distribution of production and officials’ responsibilities. The fifth volume contains description of types of mines.

The sixth one describes the equipment for mining. The seventh and eighth volumes are devoted to the description of ores and processes of their preparation. The ninth volume is the guide on melting and extraction of metals, and the tenth, eleventh and twelfth ones are dedicated to the deposits of metals of value, production of salt and sulfur, and also production of bitumen and glass.

The book contains 275 engravings executed by the best illustrators of that time. For nearly two hundred years, the book “De re metallica” has been considered as the best practical guide in mining and metallurgy. Georgius Agricola died in 1555. As legend has it, he died after the heart attack during the religious debate. Citizens of Lutheran religion refused to allow Catholic Agricola’s being buried and he was interred in a cathedral at Zeitz.

Unfortunately, a share of his scientific works was lost after death.

Source: 1. Biletskiy V.S., Gayko G.I. (2014) Georg Agrikola i ego fundamental'nyy trud «O gornom dele v dvenadtsati knigakh». (K vykhodu pervogo ukrainskoyazychnogo izdaniya) [Georgius Agricola and his magnum opus “De re metallica” (To publication of the first Ukrainian edition)]. Ugol' Ukrainy. (in Russian)

Picture source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgius_Agricola.jpg