The New International Encyclopædia/Peucer, Kaspar

PEUCER, poi′tsẽr, Kaspar (1525-1602). A German scientist and scholar, son-in-law of Melanchthon. He was born at Bautzen and studied at Wittenberg, where he was made professor of mathematics in 1554 and of medicine in 1560. But in 1574 he was removed from his position as rector of the university, because of his intimate relations with Crypto-Calvinists. After twelve years' imprisonment, Peucer was freed and became Court physician to the Prince of Anhalt. He wrote on astronomy, geometry, and medicine, and edited some of Melanchthon's letters (1565 and 1570). Consult Henke, Kaspar Peucer und Nikolaus Crell (Marburg, 1865).