Bonifacius Amerbach

Born on the 11 October 1495, he was the youngest son of the printer Johannes Amerbach[3] who immigrated to Basel from Amorbach in Bavaria and Barbara Ortenberg.

[11] Between 1513[10][12] and 1519 he studied law with Ulrich Zasius in Freiburg im Breisgau, with whom he established a close relationship.

[2] In 1519, before his departure to Avignon, Amerbach was painted by Hans Holbein the Younger in order to leave his family a memory, should he die on his travels.

[2] In Avignon he made the acquaintance with Guillame Budé, whose writings he had studied in Freiburg and who was an influential scholar of and proponent for French legal humanism.

[21] Even though Oecolampadius's views came through, he then stayed but the requirements to be assigned as a professor at the University of Basel were adapted and he was excepted from the duty to attend the Lord's supper.

[15] In 1544, Johann Ulrich Zasius, the son of his former teacher, taught at the faculty of law at the University of Basel.

[15] Despite his official adherence to the Reformation, his friendship with Erasmus perdured[20] and in 1535 Amerbach convinced him to return to Basel from Freiburg im Breisgau.

He maintained good relations to the composers Hans Kotter and Sixt Dietrich [de] since he had stayed in Freiburg.

[15] During his studies, he seemed to have had a lover in Avignon, but his sister Margarethe warned him from bringing a French national into the household.

[34] He had a close relationship with various influential personalities at the time such as Paracelsus and Erasmus which both attended his wedding with Martha Fuchs in Neuenburg am Rhein[35] on 25 February 1527.

His wife Martha and his youngest daughter Esther died when in 1541/42 the plague was raging in Basel.