# Heinrich Rantzau

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German humanist, astrologer, and author

Rantzau

**Heinrich Rantzau** or **Ranzow** (**Ranzovius**) (11 March 1526 – 31 December 1598) was a German humanist writer and statesman, a prolific astrologer and an associate of [Tycho Brahe](/source/Tycho_Brahe). He was son of [Johan Rantzau](/source/Johan_Rantzau). He was [Governor](/source/Governor) of the Danish royal share in the [Duchy of Holstein](/source/Duchy_of_Holstein), a rich man and celebrated book collector. Rantzau is perhaps best remembered as a patron of scholars. His own *Tractatus astrologicus de genethliacorum thematum* appeared in 1593, and went through five editions by 1615. In his own time, he was regarded as a generous supporter of artists and writers in [Lübeck](/source/L%C3%BCbeck), many of whom he engaged to write memorials of his father.[1] Rantzau was also a successful merchant with trading interests in the east–west trade through [Husum](/source/Husum) and Lübeck.[2]

Rantzau was awarded the Danish [Order of the Elephant](/source/Order_of_the_Elephant) in 1580 by [King Frederick II of Denmark](/source/Frederick_II_of_Denmark).

His oldest son [Breide Rantzau](/source/Breide_Rantzau) was a councillor of the Danish realm, and a younger son, [Gert Rantzau](/source/Gert_Rantzau), was Captain of the castles of [Kronborg](/source/Kronborg) and [Flensburg](/source/Flensburg).[3]

He was the great-uncle of [Josias von Rantzau](/source/Josias_von_Rantzau), [Marshal of France](/source/Marshal_of_France).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Cowan, Alexander (2003), *Cultural traffic in Lübeck and Danzig in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries*. **Scand. J. Hist.** 28: 175–185.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Kellenbenz, Hermann & Gerhard Benecke (1976), **The Rise of the European Economy: An Economic History of Continental Europe from the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Century.** Holmes & Meier, 1976.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** David Scott Gehring, *Diplomatic Intelligence on the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark during the Reigns of Elizabeth I and James VI: Three Treatises*, Camden Fifth Series, 49 (Cambridge, 2016), pp. 164, 168.

## Editions

- Felgentreu, Fritz (ed., trans.). *Heinrich Rantzau (Christianus Cilicius Cimber). Belli Dithmarsici vera descriptio: Wahre Beschreibung des Dithmarscher Krieges* (Schleswig: Landesarchiv Schleswig-Holstein, 2009) (Veröffentlichungen des Landesarchivs Schleswig-Holstein, 86).

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Heinrich Rantzau](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Heinrich_Rantzau).

- [Peter Zeeberg: *Heinrich Rantzau (1526–98) and his humanist collaborators – The examples of Reiner Reineccius and Georg Ludwig Froben.*](http://www.phil-hum-ren.uni-muenchen.de/GermLat/Acta/Zeeberg.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210212031432/http://www.phil-hum-ren.uni-muenchen.de/GermLat/Acta/Zeeberg.htm) 2021-02-12 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Heinrich Rantzau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Rantzau) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Rantzau?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.