Historedia
EuropeEvent

Publication of Rheticus' Narratio Prima

When
1540
Where
Danzig (Gdańsk)
Episodes
1

In 1540, Georg Joachim Rheticus published the Narratio Prima in Danzig (Gdańsk), an abstract of Copernicus' heliocentric theory. Printed by Franz Rhode with financial aid from the mayor, it served as the first printed account of the system and introduced the forthcoming De revolutionibus orbium coelestium.

Episodes

  1. 1540 · Danzig (Gdańsk)Publication of Narratio Prima

    Rheticus published the Narratio Prima in Danzig in 1540, abstracting Copernicus' heliocentric theory.

Background and detail

Publication Details. In September 1539, Rheticus traveled to Danzig (Gdańsk) to secure financial assistance from the mayor for publishing his abstract. The Narratio Prima was printed by Franz Rhode in 1540. It is recognized as the first printed publication of Copernicus' theory and remains a key introduction to the De revolutionibus.

People involved

Sources

  1. Narratio Prima Wikipedia, revision of 2025-05-28
  2. Georg Joachim Rheticus Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-01

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.