KRANTZ, krantz, ALBERT: Historian of the
fifteenth century; b. at Hamburg c. 1445 or somewhat
earlier; d. there Dec. 7, 1517. He was matriculated
at Rostock 1463, continued his studies
at Cologne, at first being interested in law and then
turning to theology and history. After extensive
journeys, during which he gathered from different
libraries material later utilized in his works on history,
he seems to have been appointed professor at
the University of Rostock, of which in 1482 he
became rector and in 1486 dean of the philosophical
faculty. In the same year he was appointed also
syndic of the town of Lübeck. He seems to have
lived at that time in Lübeck, and it is not certain
whether he continued to be active at Rostock. In
1493 he became first lector of theology at the cathedral
of Hamburg, and after 1500 he seems to have
held also the position of syndic of Hamburg. In
1508 he became dean of the cathedral chapter and
twice, in 1508 and 1514, held strict church visitations
in his diocese, urging the removal of abuses
and a stricter obedience to the laws of the church.
In theology Krantz took the standpoint of the
older Catholicism, but in some of his views reveals
the beginnings of the modern spirit. He approved
of Luther's vehement opposition against the abuse
of indulgences, but considered the removal of them
an undertaking beyond the powers of a monk.
A few days before his death, as he lay on his
bed, Luther's theses were brought and read to
him. He then ejaculated: "Brother, brother, go
to thy cell and say 'God be merciful to me."'
From the lectures of Krantz to the clergy of Hamburg
Bertold Moller edited Spirantissimum opusculum
in officium misse (1506). Krantz edited also
Ordo missalis secundum ritum ecclesiæ Hamburgensisf
(Strasburg, 1509), but his chief fame rests upon
his historical works; he has been called a second
Adam of Bremen, although others have reproached
him with partizanship and plagiarism; but his writings
show great diligence and the method employed
in them marks essential progress in historical
literature. Their titles are Wandalia seu de
Wandalorum vera origine, variis gentibus, . . . migrationibus
(Cologne, 1518); Saxonia. De Saxonicæ
381
gentis vetusta origine, longinquis expeditionibus
. . . et bellis (1520); Hystoria von den alten Hussen
zu Behemen in Kaiser Sigmunds Zeiten (n. p.,
1523); Chronica regnorum aquilonarum Daniæ,
Sueciæ et Norvagiæ (Strasburg, Germ., 1545, Lat.,
1546); Metropolis seu historia de ecclesiis sub Carolo
Magno in Saxonia (Basle, 1548). These works
still possess value for the church history of north
Europe and of northwestern Germany; they were
continually reprinted in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries, though the Roman Catholic
Church put them on the index.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: N. Wilkens, Leben des berühmten Doct. Alberti Crantzii, Hamburg, 1722; Zeitschrift des Vereins für hamburgische Geschichte, iii (1851), 395-413 (by C. Mönekeberg), x (1899), 385-484 (by E. Schäfer); O. Krabbe, Die Universität Rostock, i . 224-236, Rostock, 1854; R. Lange, in Hansische Geschichtsblätter, v (1885), 63-100; J. Moller, in Cimbria literata, iii. 378-392; L. Daae, in Historisk Tidskrift, II., iv. 187 sqq., v. 225; ADB, xvii. 43-44.
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