When did Adam of Bremen live and work?
Adam of Bremen lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He was probably born before 1050 and died on the 12th of October of an unknown year.
Adam of Bremen lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He was probably born before 1050 and died on the 12th of October of an unknown year.
Adam of Bremen is believed to have come from Meissen, which was then its own margravate. It is probable that he was taught at the Magdeburger Domschule.
By 1069 Adam of Bremen appeared as director of the Bremen Cathedral's school. His role allowed him to gather information on the history and geography of Northern Germany.
Adam of Bremen wrote the Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum, also known as Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church. This text covers both Bremen and Hamburg alongside northern lands and remains a key source for historians.
Adam of Bremen recorded specific sailing passages across Øresund that resemble today's Helsingør, Helsingborg ferry route. He described the waters between Denmark and Sweden with precision using oral reports and written records.
Adam of Bremen became the first European to write about the New World through his mention of the Norse outpost of Vinland. No earlier known text contains such a mention of lands across the Atlantic before Columbus.