Khunrath, Heinrich (1560-1605)
Khunrath, Heinrich (1560-1605)
German alchemist and hierophant of the physical side of the Magnum Opus. Khunrath was certainly aware of the greater issues of Hermetic theorems and may be regarded as a follower of Paracelsus. Born in Saxony in 1560, Khunrath graduated in medicine from the University of Basle at age 28. He practiced in Hamburg and thereafter in Dresden. He died in poverty and obscurity in Leipzig on September 9, 1605 at age 45.
The most remarkable of his works, some of which are still in manuscript, is the Amphitheatrum Sapientiae! Eterne! solius vere, Christiano Kabbalisticum divino magicum. This unfinished work appeared in 1602, although it is believed an earlier edition was printed in 1598. A 1609 edition contains a preface and conclusion by Khunrath's friend Erasmus Wohlfahrt. It is a mystical treatise based on the wisdom of Solomon describing the seven steps leading to universal knowledge. Khunrath's book has been interpreted as the voice of ancient chaos, and its folding plates are particularly odd. In 1625 Khunrath's work was condemned by the Sorbonne for its mixture of Christianity and magic.
Khunrath believed in the transmutation of stones and metals through alchemy and sought the elixir of life. The physician and chemist Conrad Khunrath (ca. 1594) may have been Heinrich Khunrath's brother.