Martin Behaim aus Nürnberg. Der geistige Entdecker Amerika's

Born in Nürnberg around 1459, Martin Behaim grew up in a family that traced its roots to Bohemia and quickly found his calling in trade and mathematics. Under the mentorship of the famed instrument maker Johann Regiomontanus, he mastered the science of navigation and began a series of merchant voyages that took him from Venice to the bustling ports of Mechelen, Antwerp and the Azores. His talent for map‑making caught the eye of the Portuguese court, and he soon joined King João II’s exploratory missions along the African coast, where he worked alongside Diego Cano and helped lay the groundwork for early Atlantic settlements.

Back in his native city, Behaim poured his accumulated knowledge into the creation of a detailed terrestrial globe—later celebrated as the world’s oldest surviving Renaissance globe. This ambitious model, reflecting the geographical ideas of Ptolemy, Marco Polo and contemporary travelers, offers a fascinating snapshot of fifteenth‑century worldviews. Listeners will discover how Behaim’s blend of commerce, science and daring voyages positioned him as a “spiritual” discoverer of the New World, even before Columbus’s famous crossing.