Now when Johannes Kepler went to to the University of Tubingen in 1589, he discovered the theories of this man, Nicolaus Copernicus, and it is reasonable to say that they changed his way of thinking forever. Copernicus was a follower of a radical, and in many fields, banned thought, that the sun was the centre of the Universe, and everything revolved around it, according to its will. However many people at the time followed the opposite idea, that the Earth was the centre, and controlled the Universe.
Whilst he was at the University, Johannes Kepler studied philosophy and theology, but he was also interested in mathematics and the often seen as unconnected arts of astronomy and astrology - though the truth is that they are very much connected. However it was only in the following year that the new Chancellor of the University gave him the chance to study the works of both the Egyptian Claudius Ptolemy and his Polish follower Nicolaus Copernicus, the former being more normal, and the latter being considered against current beliefs. Johannes Kepler was fascinated by the differences between the two, and became a great follower of the radical suggestion that the sun was the centre of the solar system and drove the other planets about it through force of will.
This would come back against him not long after, when he was denied his desire to become a Lutheran minister, that faith believing, and quite immovably, that all the planets, and the sun, moved around the Earth. However, because of this, he did not abandon his studies and join the church, he became a teacher, of mathematics and astronomy, at a Protestant School in Graz, Austria.
Though our main card shows Nicolaus Copernicus, there is also a card of Johannes Kepler in the set, and it is immediately after this one.
It is also considered to be his "Rookie" card, but there is another, issued five years before, which we will read about tomorrow.
If you look closely at it you will see that the second section of this reverse advertises "Stollwerck`s Familien-Kakao, Tafeln zu 10, 25 and 50 pfg."
This is a different product from that which appears on our main card, and, in fact, almost all the cards have different products, these being :
1. Stollwerck`s Extra Zart
2.
3. Stollwerck`s Deutsche Alpenmilch-Shokolade Marke "Allgau"
4. Stollwerck`s Familien-Kakao, Tafeln zu 10, 25 and 50 pfg.
5. Stollwercks Frauenkron-Shokolade
6. Gebr.Stollwerck A.G. Stammhaus Coln am Rhine
Card 2, of Gutenberg, is the odd man out, for he only has the small top box saying "Gruppe 430, No. II". There is no larger second box beneath with an advert, it just goes into the large box with all the text. I have no idea why this is.