
          156

Coler, Johann (Colerus, Joannes) (d.1639)

See Allg. Deut. Biog. 4:402-403; Güntz, Handb.
Landw. Litt. 3:26-27.  The facts of Coler’s life are
somewhat confusing, but from that of his father, Jacob 
Coler or Colerus (1537-1612), Güntz deduces that
Johann was born about 1570. He also infers that a
considerable portion of the "Haussbuch" consisted
of materials written by the elder Colerus.

Not only the facts of his life but the entries
for Coler's works are decidedly puzzling. Many editions 
of different parts have been noted by various
bibliographers, but few full descriptions of those
parts can be found, and there are few actual copies.
From the title given by Güntz for the "Calendarium"
2d ed., 1592, it seems likely that the germ of the
"Oeconomia" or "Haussbuch" must have been included
in it, and probably continued through several editions 
of the calendar itself, while being expanded
into the larger work of which the calendar later
became a minor section.

The Allg. Deut. Bio. 4:402 says the "Oeconomia"
is supposed to have been published in 6 pts., 1591-
1605, but it seems to me that 1591 is doubtful for
the first part; it may have been due to a confusion
with the date for the 1st ed. of the "Calendarium".
There is an authentic record of the "Erster Theil"
of the "Oeconomia", published Wittenberg, 1593, in
Cat. Bib. Nat. Paris, 30:738; and Seguier, p.351,
gives the same in Latin: "Oeconomiae pars prima,
qua tractatur quemadmodum bonus oeconomus famulos
suos regere debet, & bona sua augere potest, per
varias honestas artes & utilia compendia circa res
domesticas agriculturam, piscatum, aucupia, venationes, 
& vinearum culturam", saying it is "Germanicè" 
and in Cat. Bib. Riv. The date 1593 is supported 
by Boehmer, 1(b):602, and by Fraas, Gesch.
Landb. (1865), p.64, and it seems most probable
that this is the original date of the first part.
Seguier and Boehmer also give 1595, but inasmuch
as they both have 1593 for the first issue, it is
probable that if the 1st pt. was issued at all in
the year 1595, it must have been merely a reissue.
        