Carl Widemann or Karl Widemann or Carolus Widemann, was a German author, physician and collector of manuscripts, from Augsburg, and briefly a secretary of the English alchemist Edward Kelley, at the court of Emperor Rudolph II.
Life
Between 1587 and 1588, Widemann worked in
Prague for Edward Kelley at the court of Emperor Rudolph II. Widemann also worked in Třeboň for the Rožmberks, also known as the
Rosenberg family.
Karl Widemann is known for copying and collecting over 30 years the works from
Paracelsus. Because of this many unpublished works from Paracelsus survived to the present day. He did the same for the works of Caspar Schwenckfeld, and Widemann's close colleagues Valentin Krautwald and
Adam Reusner. After Helisaeus Roeslin's (Helisäus Röslin) death in 1616, his unpublished astrology, theology and
kabbalistic work merged into the manuscript collection of Karl Widemann.
Adam Haslmayr a close friend of Widemann, wrote him a letter about
Rosicrucianism people who revealed the Theophrastiam, on December 24, 1611.
Voynich manuscript
In March 1599 Emperor Rudolph II bought several "remarkable/rare books" from Carl Widemann for 500 Taler. As he was paid in 600 florin, these books might be identical with the book transaction of 600
Ducat mentioned in the Marci letter and might have contained the Voynich manuscript.
Works
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Interpraetatio Mystica et Vera in Quartum librum Esdrae Prophetae - 1619
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Paracelsi Testamentum