[Kaspar Schwenckfeldt--a Silesian physician, Renaissance student of nature, and bibliophile].

Kaspar Schwenckfeldt (1563-1609) is numbered among the intellectual celebrities of the Age of Renaissance in Silesia. He was the first to describe the flora of this region. His work Stirpium et fossilium Silesiae catalogus, based on his own research, was the fundamental source of knowledge about those plants for almost two centuries. His work on Silesian mineralogy, Fossilium Silesiae catalogus, omnia generis mineralia, metalla, succos, terrae, lapillos, fontes medicatos et thermae continens, even at present day is a valuable source of information on the occurrence of minerals in Silesia in the distant past. On the basis of Theriothropeum Silesiae one can reconstruct the rich realm of Silesian fauna of 16th/17th centuries. The monography of cieplice Slaskie, Hirschbergischen warmen Bades, published in 1607, is one of the oldest descriptions of this spa. The analysis of the physical-chemical characteristics of the waters and the information about their possible medical application was the fullest expert's opinion of that time. Up to the present days, a hand-written register of his collection of books has been preserved in the Stadtarchiv in Görlitz. It contains 705 items, which include medical publications, works on magic and occultism, as well as books connected with the Reformation movement, studies in Old Greek and Latin philologies, books on the history of some European countries. His versatility and rich scientific output place him among the most outstanding minds of his age.