Bonifacius Amerbach (1495, Basel – April 1562, Basel^[1][2]) was a jurist, scholar, an influential humanist and the rector of the University of Basel for several terms.

Personal life[edit]

He had a close relationship with various influential personalities at the time such as Paracelsus and Erasmus which both attended his wedding with Martha Fuchs in Neuenburg am Rhein.^[19] Hans Holbein the Younger was also a guest in his house in Basel and Amerbach was portrayed by him in 1519.^[7] Later his family became the guardian of various paintings of him.^[16] In 1533 the son Basilius Amerbach was born. In 1541/42 the plague raging in Basel takes away his wife Martha and the youngest daughter Esther. As in 1546, Amerbach's father-in-law Leonhard Fuchs died in Neuenburg, Bonifacius Amerbach became the head of the entire Amerbach and Fuchs families.^[19] He died in April 1562 and was buried at the Monastery St. Margarethental [de] in Basel.^[2] His vast collection would come in possession of his son.