Mercator

On March 5th, 1512 Gerard Mercator of Rupelmonde was born. This man reinvented geography, more than 1000 years after Ptolemy. He was the first to map the entire new world. He created the most successful globe projection for navigation. Today, navigation and cartography go through a revival thanks to GNSS and earth observation satellites.

This excellent biography, written by Nicholas Crane, brought Mercator more to life than he was at primary school. First, the rough times he lived in, the dreadful circumstances and dangers that made him move from town to town. Many towns can 'claim' him now: Rupelmonde, Den Bosch, Leuven, Antwerp, Sint-Niklaas and Duisburg. His loyalty to his friends, sometimes at high risk to be persecuted. His scientific obstinacy. His passion for quality and beauty. His deep spiritual interests and his consequent sympathy for protestantism. He can still be an inspiration to many people today.