← 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.
- 1
Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine11 decades - 2
Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen8 decades - 3
Andreas Gryphius22 decades - 4
Martin Opitz22 decades - 5
Friedrich Spee21 decades - 6
Abraham a Sancta Clara21 decades - 7
Simon Dach22 decades - 8
Paul Fleming16 decades - 9
Heinrich Matthias von Thurn2 decades - 10
Glückel of Hameln0 decades - 11
Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttelnot measured- - 12
Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg22 decades - 13
Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow22 decades - 14
Philipp von Zesen21 decades - 15
Christoph Cellarius8 decades - 16
Christian Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau4 decades - 17
Johann von Rist21 decades - 18
Christian Knorr von Rosenroth7 decades - 19
Elizabeth of Hesse-Kassel, Duchess of Mecklenburg2 decades - 20
Duchess Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburgnot measured- - 21
Daniel Casper von Lohenstein7 decades - 22
Hans Georg von Arnim-Boitzenburgnot measured- - 23
Georg Philipp Harsdorffer9 decades - 24
Hiob Ludolf16 decades - 25
Countess Palatine Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrückennot measured- - 26
Johann Franck5 decades - 27
Johann Ernst Glück4 decades - 28
Jakob Balde11 decades - 29
Martin Zeiler12 decades - 30
Caspar Schoppe0 decades - 31
Countess Emilie Juliane of Barby-Mühlingennot measured- - 32
Johann Heermann16 decades - 33
Philipp Clüver1 decades - 34
Sigmund von Birken18 decades - 35
Anna Sophia II, Abbess of Quedlinburgnot measured- - 36
Quirinus Kuhlmann9 decades - 37
Christian Weise21 decades - 38Salomon Franck2 decades
- 39
Hans Caspar von Bothmer0 decades - 40
Johann Michael Moscherosch7 decades - 41
Heinrich Meibom0 decades - 42
Ludmilla Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadtnot measured- - 43
Sibylla Schwarznot measured- - 44
Georg Rudolf Weckherlin7 decades - 45Jacob Bidermann0 decades
- 46Hans Erasmus Aßmann0 decades
- 47
Johann Christoph Wagenseil0 decades - 48
Justus Georg Schottel5 decades - 49
Martin of Cochemnot measured- - 50
Daniel Georg Morhof0 decades - 51
Jeremias Drexel5 decades - 52Johan Abelingnot measured-
- 53
Kaspar von Stieler0 decades - 54
Kaspar von Barth0 decades - 55
Daniel Czepko von Reigersfeld7 decades - 56Issachar Berend Lehmannnot measured-
- 57
Johann Georg von Eckhartnot measured- - 58
Rupertus Meldeniusnot measured- - 59
Abraham von Franckenbergnot measured- - 60Georgius Horniusnot measured-
- 61
Anna Ovena Hoyernot measured- - 62Heinrich Rothnot measured-
- 63
Johann Matthäus Meyfart3 decades - 64
Erasmus Finx11 decades - 65
Christian Scriver6 decades - 66
Ferdinand von Fürstenbergnot measured- - 67
Bartholomew Holzhausernot measured- - 68Melchior Adam16 decades
- 69
Ludwig Nicolaus Hallartnot measured- - 70
Peter Lambeck0 decades - 71Johann Klajnot measured-
- 72Christian Heinrich Postel2 decades
- 73
Samuel Rodigastnot measured- - 74
John Adolphus of Schwarzenbergnot measured- - 75Heinrich Wilhelm Ludolfnot measured-
- 76
Ahasverus Fritschnot measured- - 77
Gabriel Bucelinnot measured- - 78
Johan Albrecht de Mandelslonot measured- - 79
Johann Freinsheimnot measured- - 80
Johann Jacob von Wallhausennot measured- - 81
Philipp Hainhofernot measured- - 82
Michael Francknot measured- - 83
Johann Micraeliusnot measured- - 84
Johannes Loccenius0 decades - 85
Theodore Haaknot measured- - 86
Christoph Hartknochnot measured- - 87
Johann Balthasar Schuppnot measured- - 88Philipp Chemnitznot measured-
- 89Valentinus Smalciusnot measured-
- 90Johann Thöldenot measured-
- 91Henriette Catharina von Gersdorffnot measured-
- 92
Michael Brüggemannnot measured- - 93
Jacob Altingnot measured- - 94Julius Wilhelm Zincgrefnot measured-
- 95
Caspar Zieglernot measured- - 96Johann Jacob Schütznot measured-
- 97
Tobias Clausnitzernot measured- - 98
Johann Georg Neumannnot measured- - 99
Johannes Sinapiusnot measured- - 100
Gabriel Rollenhagennot 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.