| Authorised form of name | Haak; Theodore (1605 - 1690); translator and natural philosopher |
| Dates | 1605 - 1690 |
| Nationality | German |
| Place of birth | Neuhausen, near Worms, Germany, Europe |
| Date of birth | 25 July 1605 |
| Place of death | Bartlett Buildings, Fetter Lane, London, England, Europe |
| Date of death | 5 May 1690 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
St Andrew's, Holborn, London, England, Europe (8 May 1690) |
| Activity | Education:
Gloucester Hall, Oxford (matriculated c.1629); University of Leiden (matriculated 1638)
Career:
Ordained deacon; procured benevolence money from several English dioceses for Germans during the Wars of Religion; translated 'Dutch annotations' on the Bible for the Westminster Assembly of Divines; acted as intelligence agent and translator for the Council of State
|
| Membership category | Original Fellow |
| Date of election | 20/05/1663 |
| Proposer | William Brouncker |
| RSActivity | Royal Society roles:
Council 1678-1679
Committee and panels:
Committee for Correspondence (1664); Committee for Auditing the Treasurer's Accounts (1673) |
| Other Royal Society activity | Translated an Italian work on dyeing at the Society's request (1662); Researched and wrote about oysters (1662); Heavily involved in the Society's foreign correspondence until 1685 |
| Relationships | Parents: Theodor Haak and Maria Tossanus
Married: Elisabeth Genue |
| OtherInfo | Haak's higher education is presumed to have been interrupted by the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). During this time, he showed his support for German protestant clergymen by organising collections in England. After settling there, Haak become close with Samuel Hartlib and became part of his 'circle' of correspondence, and additionally began correspondence with French theologian and mathematician Marin Mersenne. Haak is also credited with creating a wide network to encourage and develop 'the new philosophy' during the Scientific Revolution. The unpublished manuscript of his translation of John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' can be seen in the first printed German translation by Ernst von Berge in 1682. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Image | 
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| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB; Foster; Shaw LD; ODNB
References:
Boas Hall, M. 1992. 'Frederick Slare, FRS (1648-1727)', in Notes and Records, vol. 46, pp. 23-41
Heyman, J. 2003. 'The birth of the modern architect. On a grander scale: the outstanding career of Sir Christopher Wren, by L Jardine', in Notes and Records, vol. 57, pp. 243-244
Hill, C. 1968. 'The Intellectual Origins of the Royal Society - London or Oxford?', in Notes and Records, vol. 23, pp. 144-156
Home, R W. 2002. 'The Royal Society and the Empire: the colonial and Commonwealth Fellowship. Part 1. 1731-1847', in Notes and Records, vol. 56, pp. 307-332
Maddison, R E W. 1959. 'The Accompt of William Balle from 28 November 1660 to 11 September 1663', in Notes and Records, vol. 14, pp. 174-183
Malcolm, N. 2004. 'An unpublished letter from Henry Oldenburg to Johann Heinrich Rahn', in Notes and Records, vol. 58, pp. 249-266
McKie, D. 1960. 'The Origins and Foundation of the Royal Society of London', in Notes and Records, vol. 15, pp. 1-37
Turnbull, G H. 1953. 'Samuel Hartlib's Influence on the Early History of the Royal Society', in notes and Records, vol. 10, pp. 101-130
A C S. 1938. 'Notes on the Foundation and History of the Royal Society', in Notes and Records, vol. 1, pp. 32-36
Notes:
The election date is Haak's re-election date into the Society after the grant of the second charter in April 1663. All Fellows admitted in a two-month window after this charter, until 22 June 1663, are considered Original Fellows. He was previously admitted into the Society on 4 December 1661.
Possibly proposed by Dr Wilkins, 13 November 1661, as 'Mr Hawks' (JB). The burial register at St Andrew's gives burial date as 08 May 1690 (see book on Haak by P Barnet). |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/37699007 |
| Code | NA5919 |
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| RBC/1/52 | 'Of the Breeding etc of Colchester Oysters By Mr Haak' | 1662 |
| RBC/2/98 | 'An Account of Mastick made by Ants Written by Sir William Curtius in a Letter to Mr Haak | 1667 |
| RBC/2/38 | 'Mr Haaks Experiments of Frost seperating partes of Coloured Water' | 1663 |
| P/0057 | Portrait of Haak, Theodore | |
| MS/390/3 | Bond of Theodore Haak to the Treasurer of the Royal Society | 26 November 1674 |
| CLP/4i/9 | Paper, 'Experiments of frost seperateing partes of coloured water' by Theodore Haak | 1663 |
| CLP/4i/9/1 | Manuscript, 'Experiments of frost seperateing partes of coloured water' by Theodore Haak | 1663 |
| CLP/4i/9/3 | Drawing, glass vessels for experiments in freezing coloured water by Theodore Haak | 1663 |
| IM/001818 | Haak, Theodore | nd |
| RBO/2i/82 | 'Experiments of Frost separating the Parts of Coloured water' by Theodore Haak | 1662 |
| CLP/15i/4 | Paper, 'Of the breeding of Colchester oysters' by Theodore Haak | [1662] |
| EL/G1/2 | Extract of a letter, from Johannes Fredericus Gronovius to Theodore Haak | 1662 |
| EL/L5/107 | Letter, from Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz to Theodore Haak | 6 January 1681 |
| EL/C1/33 | Translated extract of a letter, from William Curtius to Theodore Haak | 30 August 1667 |
| EL/L5/103 | Extract of a letter, from Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz to Theodore Haak | February 1680 |
| EL/M1/41 | Extract of a letter, from John Muralt of Zurich to Theodore Haak | 1668 |
| EL/C2/12 | Extract of a letter, from Dethlevus Cluverus to Theodore Haak, dated at Sleswig | 20 January 1680 |
| EL/P1/86 | Extract of a letter, from unknown author to T[heodor] H[aak], dated at Berlin | 11 January 1682 |
| CLP/4i/9/2 | Drawing, glass vessels for experiments in freezing coloured water by Theodore Haak | 1663 |
| RBO/5/21 | 'Extract of a learned Gentleman's letter from Nurnburg [Nuremberg, Germany] 24 January 1680' brought in by Theodore Haak | 1680 |
| RBO/1/49 | 'Of the Breeding etc of Colchester Oysters by Mr Haak' | nd |
| RBO/2ii/68 | 'Experiments of Frost separateing partes of coloured water' by Theodore Haak | 1663 |
| RBO/3/59 | 'An Account Of Mastick made by Ants Written by Sir William Curtius in a Letter to Mr Haak' | 30 August 1667 |