← Fame through time1600-1699
The 17th century
Whose working lives fell in the 17th century. Books are measured from 1800 and readers from 2015, so for this period we can say who lived then, not who was talked about then.
Lived then
The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 17th century, ranked where coverage and readership agree.
- 1Johann Pachelbel9 decades
- 2
Dieterich Buxtehude1 decades - 3
Heinrich Schütz20 decades - 4
Michael Praetorius15 decades - 5
Joachim Neander14 decades - 6
Johann Joseph Fux9 decades - 7
Johann Ambrosius Bach0 decades - 8
Maurice, Landgrave of Hesse-Kasselnot measured- - 9
Samuel Scheidt15 decades - 10Georg Böhm17 decades
- 11
Johann Hermann Schein10 decades - 12
Johann Crüger10 decades - 13
Georg Muffat0 decades - 14Andreas Werckmeister6 decades
- 15
Johann Michael Bach I2 decades - 16Johann Rosenmüller5 decades
- 17
Johann Kaspar Kerllnot measured- - 18
Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow3 decades - 19
Andreas Hammerschmidt10 decades - 20Matthias Weckmann7 decades
- 21
John Adolphus I of Saxe-Weissenfels0 decades - 22Johann Krieger4 decades
- 23Melchior Franck12 decades
- 24Johannes Bach2 decades
- 25Christoph Bach17 decades
- 26
Johann Schop2 decades - 27
Melchior Vulpius0 decades - 28
Johann Philipp Krieger7 decades - 29Johann Paul von Westhoff0 decades
- 30
Johann Theile5 decades - 31Christoph Demantiusnot measured-
- 32
Eleonore Juliane of Brandenburg-Ansbachnot measured- - 33
Adam Krieger11 decades - 34Johann Christoph Pezel0 decades
- 35
Johann Staden6 decades - 36Johann Christoph Bach IInot measured-
- 37
Clamor Heinrich Abel0 decades - 38
Johann Valentin Meder0 decades - 39Johann Aegidius Bachnot measured-
- 40Christian Friedrich Witt0 decades
- 41
Sebastian Knüpfer0 decades - 42Franz Xaver Murschhauser0 decades
- 43Johann Rudolph Ahle0 decades
- 44
Erdmuthe Sophie of Saxony0 decades - 45Johann Jakob Walther0 decades
- 46
Michael Altenburg1 decades - 47Delphin Strungk0 decades
- 48
Melchior Schildt0 decades - 49Johann Nikolaus Hanffnot measured-
- 50Jacob Praetoriusnot measured-
- 51
Johann Georg Ebelingnot measured- - 52Thomas Baltzar0 decades
- 53Dietrich Becker0 decades
- 54Kaspar Förster0 decades
- 55
Esaias Reusnernot measured- - 56Melchior Teschnernot measured-
- 57Johann Fischernot measured-
- 58Johann Georg Ahle0 decades
- 59Johann Ulrich Steigleder0 decades
- 60
Johann Andreas Herbst1 decades - 61Nicolaus Adam Strungk0 decades
- 62Johann Wolfgang Franck1 decades
- 63
Sigmund Theophil Staden0 decades - 64Wolfgang Printz5 decades
- 65Christian Erbachnot measured-
- 66
Johann Philipp Förtschnot measured- - 67
Erasmus Widmannnot measured- - 68Georg Caspar Wecker0 decades
- 69
Christian Geistnot measured- - 70Johann Georg Conradinot measured-
- 71
Andreas Dübennot measured- - 72Andreas Knellernot measured-
- 73Tobias Michaelnot measured-
- 74David Pohlenot measured-
- 75Adam Drese0 decades
- 76Georg Christoph Bachnot measured-
- 77Peter Hassenot measured-
- 78Sebastian Anton Scherer0 decades
- 79
Daniel Eberlin0 decades - 80Johann Spethnot measured-
- 81Heinrich Schwemmernot measured-
- 82Paul Peuerlnot measured-
- 83Johann Friedrich Albertinot measured-
- 84Friedrich Nicolaus Bruhnsnot measured-
- 85
Constantin Christian Dedekindnot measured- - 86Johann Stadlmayrnot measured-
- 87Daniel Fridericinot measured-
- 88Matthäus Apelles von Löwensternnot measured-
- 89Georg Dietrich Leydingnot measured-
- 90Philipp Friedrich Böddeckernot measured-
- 91John Herbiniusnot measured-
- 92Johann Samuel Dresenot measured-
- 93
Werner Fabriciusnot measured- - 94
Augustin Pflegernot measured- - 95
Severus Gastoriusnot measured- - 96Erhard Bodenschatznot measured-
- 97Jakob Hasslernot measured-
- 98Rupert Ignaz Mayrnot measured-
- 99Wolfgang Ebnernot measured-
- 100Heinrich Grimmnot measured-
How to read these rankings
- Attention, not reputation. A place on these lists reflects the attention a person still draws in the public record. It is not a judgement on the life.
- Fame in print. The curves show how often a name appeared in the books of each decade from 1800 to 2019, drawn from the Google Books Ngram corpus.
- Gaps are left as gaps. Where the record is too thin to be fair, we would rather show nothing than guess.