Rudolph Agricola in his own words

In 1482, Agricola was the city secretary of Groningen. He often traveled on behalf of the city, but also for personal reasons. For example, he visited two old friends from his time studying in Italy, who were now prominently associated with the court of the Elector Palatine in Heidelberg. They tried to persuade him to settle permanently in Heidelberg and serve as a scholar at the court and university.

Agricola wrote about this on October 11, 1482, to his close friend Adolf Occo, who had also studied with him in Italy and was now working as a physician in Augsburg.

He describes the offer from Heidelberg, the essence of which is captured in this quote: the prospect of living as a private scholar without any obligations. After much deliberation, Agricola accepted the offer and settled in Heidelberg in 1484.

dr. Adrie van der Laan

Keeper of Special Collections, University Library Groningen

Since the late 1460s, Agricola studied in the Italian city of Pavia, but occasionally returned to Groningen to visit his family and friends. During these visits, he stayed at the Selwerd monastery, of which his father was the abbot. He also frequented the wealthy Aduard monastery, where Abbot Hendrik van Rees regularly hosted intellectuals inspired by humanism, a new educational movement that had already flourished in Italy in the 14th century and found its first followers in the Netherlands in the 1460s, particularly in Frisia.

From Selwerd, Agricola wrote these words on February 5, 1471, in a letter to his like-minded friend Antonius Liber, who worked as a teacher and sacristan at the Martinikerk in the city of Groningen.

Agricola's letters reveal his understanding of what humanism entailed and how he actively advocated for it. The core of humanism, as referenced by Agricola, encompassed the five disciplines of civilization: grammar (language), rhetoric (communication), poetry (writing skills), historiography (practical conduct), and ethics (theoretical conduct).

All of Agricola's letters have recently been translated into Dutch and English.

Translation and explanation by dr. Adrie van der Laan, curator of Special Collections, University Library, University of Groningen.

' Humanitate doctrinaque dari nullum potest maius.'

' There is no greater gift than intellectual and scholarly formation.'

Rodolphus Agricola, 1476

In 1475, Rudolph Agricola left the University of Pavia to study in Ferrara. There, he had the opportunity to study classical Greek, which he considered essential for a thorough study of the humanities.

According to Agricola, following the Italian humanist tradition, the entire culture and literature of the Greco-Roman antiquity should serve as the foundation for the humanities. He was also hired by Duke Ercole d'Este as an organist at his court, which was known for its cultural richness. In the summer of 1476, Agricola had the honor of opening the new academic year in the presence of the duke. This was a significant distinction at a university renowned for many internationally renowned scholars. On this occasion, Agricola delivered a eulogy on the sciences, in which he made the above statement.

As a humanist, he dedicated himself to the humanities, which he considered the core and pinnacle of human civilization. In Agricola's view, this civilization and formation represented the highest goal and aspiration of education.

This speech by Agricola has never been fully translated into Dutch, but a portion of it was translated by Prof. Dr. Marc van der Poel in his book "Rudolf Agricola Over dialectica en humanisme" (Baarn: Ambo, 1991).

Naturalis philosophia ut nihil quod usquam gigneretur, relinqueret ignotum, penetravit aperuitque cuncta totamque rerum naturam non cognitioni solum, sed servituti quoque et usibus exhibuit humanis.

Science penetrates everything, exposes everything, and reveals the entire nature of things, not only for knowledge, but also to serve humanity and be useful to it.

Rodolphus Agricola, 1476.

In 1475, Rudolf Agricola left the University of Pavia to study in Ferrara, where he could also study classical Greek, which he deemed necessary for a thorough study of the humanities. According to Agricola, the entire culture and literature of Greek and Roman antiquity should be the foundation of the humanities, as was the case in Italian humanism.

The Duke of Ferrara, Ercole d'Este, also hired Agricola as an organist at his court, which was characterized by great cultural wealth. In the summer of 1476, Agricola had the honor of opening the new academic year in the presence of the Duke. This was no small distinction at a university renowned for its many scholars of international fame. On this occasion, Agricola delivered a eulogy on the sciences, in which he made the above statement. As a scholar of the humanities, he devoted himself to the study of classical literature, but he recognized the value of the sciences in a broad sense for the optimal formation of humanity, as he also emphasized in this speech. In his view, optimal formation was the highest goal and aspiration of education, and as a committed Christian, he also saw humanity as the crown of creation. In fact, his faith was strengthened by the achievements of human science.

Agricola's speech has never been translated in its entirety into Dutch, but a part of it was translated by Professor Dr. Marc van der Poel in his book Rudolf Agricola Over dialectica en humanisme (Baarn: Ambo, 1991).

Dr. A.H. (Adrie) van der Laan, Curator of Special Collections, University Library, University of Groningen.