Heinrich Brewer

Who was Heinrich Brewer?

Heinrich Brewer was a German Roman Catholic priest and historian.

Brewer was educated at the Gymnasium Tricoronatum in Cologne. He was ordained a priest in 1664. After this he was for a time a private tutor at Cologne, then curate of the cathedral at Bonn. During his residence at Bonn he published, in 1668, a poem of slight poetic value titled "Crinitum poli Sidus." He continued his studies while filling these positions and in 1667 was made lecturer on theology at the University of Cologne. From 1669 to 1682 he was rector of a convent of nuns at Cologne, a position which gave him the leisure to carry on his historical studies. In 1682 he became parish priest of the church of St. Jacob at Aachen. After twenty-nine years in Aachen he resigned his pastorate in 1712 and returned to his quiet native town.

His most important work is: Historica rerum notabiliorum ubique paene terrarum gestarum enarratio breviter et succinete pro historiae universalis Brachelio-Thuldenanae continuatione adornata. Shortly after this he published a revised edition of the Historia Universalis Brachelio-Thuldenanae in eight volumes. Brewer now received the title of Imperial Historiographer. The honour was fitly bestowed, for Brewer was one of the few historians of the time who sought out original sources and made full use of them. He added to each volume copies of important official documents, besides making skillful use of pictures and maps.