Nicholas of Cusa

German philosopher (1401 – 1464)
Person human Q154751
Nicholas of Cusa
Master of the Life of the Virgin · Public Domain · Wikimedia
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Summary

Nicholas of Cusa was born on 1401[1] in Bernkastel-Kues[2]. He died on August 11, 1464[3], in Todi[4]. He worked as a mathematician[5], astronomer[6], diplomat[7], philosopher[8], and writer[9]. He ranks in the top 0.7% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (7,291 views/month, #7,033 of 1,000,298).[10]

Key Facts

  • Date of death: August 12, 1464[11]
  • Place of burial: San Pietro in Vincoli[12], Q76636853[13], tomb of the cardinal Nicholas of Cusa[14]
  • Country of citizenship: Holy Roman Empire[15]
  • Native language: Middle High German[16]
  • Occupation: Catholic priest[17], theologian[18], jurist[19], politician[20], Catholic bishop[21], scribe[22]
  • Field of work: philosophy[23], Christian theology[24], Renaissance philosophy[25], astronomy[26], mathematics[27], diplomacy[28], geography[29], law[30]
  • Position held: Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals[31], cardinal[32], Roman Catholic Bishop of Brixen[33], cardinal priest of Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens[34]
  • Educated at: University of Padua[35], Heidelberg University[36], University of Cologne[37]
  • Notable work: De auctoritate praesidendi in concilio generali[38], Reparatio calendarii[39], De concordantia catholica[40], De Docta Ignorantia[41], Dialogus concludens Amedistarum errorem[42], De coniecturis[43], De deo abscondito[44], De quaerendo deum[45], De dato patris luminum[46], De transmutationibus geometricis[47], De arithmeticis complementis[48], De mathematicis complementis[49], De apice theoriae[50], Conpendium[51]
  • Religion or worldview: Catholic Church[52]
  • Sex or gender: male[53]
  • Noble title: Prince-Bishop[54]
  • Movement: German Renaissance[55]
  • Commons category: Nicholas of Cusa[56]
  • Academic degree: doctorate[57]
  • Family name: Kues[58]
  • Given name: Nikolaus[59]

Body

Works and Contributions

Things named for Nicholas of Cusa include Cusanus[60], an impact crater[61].

Why It Matters

Nicholas of Cusa has Wikipedia articles in 27 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[62] He is known by 105 alternative names across languages and contexts.[63]

He has been cited as an influence by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel[64], a philosopher[65], 1770–1831[66], of Kingdom of Württemberg[67], awarded the Order of the Red Eagle 3rd Class[68], specialised in philosophy[69]; Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz[70], a mathematician[71], 1646–1716[72], of Electorate of Saxony[73], awarded the Fellow of the Royal Society[74], specialised in mathematical analysis[75]; Giordano Bruno[76], an astronomer[77], 1548–1600[78], of Kingdom of Naples[79], specialised in philosophy[80]; and Damaris Cudworth Masham[81], a philosopher[82], 1659–1708[83], of Kingdom of Great Britain[84].

He is credited with the discovery of unity of opposites[85], a philosophical concept[86], founded in 1440[87]. Works attributed to him include De Docta Ignorantia[88], a literary work[89]. Entities named for him include Cusanus[60], an impact crater[61].

FAQs

Where was Nicholas of Cusa born?

Nicholas of Cusa's place of birth was Bernkastel-Kues[2].

Where did Nicholas of Cusa die?

Nicholas of Cusa passed away in Todi[4].

What did Nicholas of Cusa do for work?

Nicholas of Cusa worked as a mathematician[5], astronomer[6], diplomat[7], philosopher[8], and writer[9].

Where did Nicholas of Cusa go to school?

Nicholas of Cusa was educated at University of Padua[35], Heidelberg University[36], and University of Cologne[37].

Who did Nicholas of Cusa influence?

Nicholas of Cusa has been cited as an influence by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel[64], Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz[70], Giordano Bruno[76], and Damaris Cudworth Masham[81].

What did Nicholas of Cusa discover?

Nicholas of Cusa is credited as discoverer of unity of opposites[85].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] ↑ . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  2. [4] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  3. [53] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  4. [15] ↑ . LIBRIS. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  5. [31] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [32] ↑ . Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  7. [33] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  8. [34] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [35] ↑ . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  10. [36] ↑ . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  11. [37] ↑ . Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  12. [54] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  13. [23] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  14. [24] ↑ . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  15. [25] ↑ . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  16. [26] ↑ . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  17. [27] ↑ . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  18. [28] ↑ . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  19. [29] ↑ . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  20. [30] ↑ . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  21. [16] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  22. [5] ↑ . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  23. [6] ↑ . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  24. [7] ↑ . Union List of Artist Names. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  25. [8] ↑ . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  26. [9] ↑ . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  27. [17] ↑ . Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  28. [18] ↑ . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  29. [19] ↑ . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  30. [20] ↑ . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  31. [21] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  32. [22] ↑ . Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts. wikidata.org.
  33. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  34. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  35. [14] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  36. [55] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  37. [52] ↑ . Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  38. [56] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  39. [57] ↑ . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  40. [1] ↑ . A Short History of Astronomy. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  41. [3] ↑ . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  42. [11] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  43. [58] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  44. [59] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  45. [38] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  46. [39] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  47. [40] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  48. [41] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  49. [42] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  50. [43] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  51. [44] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  52. [45] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  53. [46] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  54. [47] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  55. [48] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  56. [49] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  57. [50] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  58. [51] ↑ . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [64] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [70] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [76] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [81] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [85] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [88] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [60] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [65] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [66] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [67] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [68] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [69] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [71] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [72] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [73] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [74] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [75] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [77] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [78] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [79] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [80] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [82] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [83] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [84] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [86] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [87] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [89] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [61] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [10] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [62] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [63] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 1d ago · DifoolBot bot · 2026-10-20 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Claims rich → —
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  2. 3d ago · OKA bot bot · 2026-10-18 view diff on Wikidata ↗
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  3. 7d ago · AntiDerangedKhanTengriAction · 2026-10-13 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Sitelink count → 83
    Open library id → OL7092432A, OL135713A, OL5982500A
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  4. 27d ago · Ronald Weiss · 2026-09-23 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Described by source → Nordisk familjebok, Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978), Small Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary +14
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:2||1 */ Described by source: Selbstzeugnisse im deutschsprachigen Raum"
  5. 5w ago · Printstream · 2026-09-15 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Hessian biography person (gnd) id → 6386
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  6. 5w ago · Bargioni · 2026-09-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    National library of ireland id → vtls001101850
    Described by source → Nordisk familjebok, Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978), Small Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary +14
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/53268|batch #53268]]: add P1810 to P1047"
  7. 12w ago · Pierrotrgr · 2026-07-22 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Biblissima authority id → Big Brother 2007
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  8. 13w ago · Gerwoman · 2026-07-18 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Edizioni ares author id → nicolo-cusano
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ Edizioni ares author id: nicolo-cusano, Matched to [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/entry/214270622|Niccolò Cusano (#214270622)]] in [[:toollabs:mix-n-match/#/catalog/4687|Edizio"
  9. 14w ago · Epìdosis · 2026-07-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14611 → 958
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  10. 14w ago · Nyuhn · 2026-07-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14541 → 35DqQC
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  11. 15w ago · Printstream · 2026-07-04 view diff on Wikidata ↗
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  12. 15w ago · KrBot bot · 2026-07-03 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Notable work → De auctoritate praesidendi in concilio generali, Reparatio calendarii, De concordantia catholica +28
    "/* wbsetclaimvalue:1| */ Notable work: Complementum theologicum, разрешение перенаправления / resolving redirect De theologicis complementis → Complementum theologicum ([[:toollabs:editgroups/b/KrBotR"
  13. 15w ago · Printstream · 2026-07-01 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14578 → 230
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  14. 16w ago · Printstream · 2026-06-25 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14536 → 383318
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  15. 18w ago · Jindřich Rubeš · 2026-06-12 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Svkkl authority id → p0099444-Mikulas-14011464
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  16. 19w ago · MariuszRokin · 2026-06-07 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Parsifal cluster id → 63719, 771610
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  17. 22w ago · RVA2869 · 2026-05-16 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Described by source → Nordisk familjebok, Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978), Small Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary +14
    Local thumb → —
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  18. 23w ago · Bargioni · 2026-05-07 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Local thumb → —
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/30465|batch #30465]]: add P1810 to P5739 1/3"
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