Nicolaus Cusanus was one of the most productive scholars of the 15th century. Born Nikolaus Cryfftz in the town of Kues along the River Mosel, he studied in Heidelberg and Padova, acquiring an extensive knowledge of virtually all established fields of study. While residing in Italy he built up connections within official religious circles which saw him assigned a number of well-paid positions. Cusanus was thus able to pursue studies in the spiritual home of humanism without having to worry unduly about the state of his finances. He carried out his work in the fields of philosophy, mathematics and ecclesiastic law, with much of his knowledge acquired using the new discipline of critical source study. However, the theory that Cusanus and his work prompted the establishment of the first Italian printing house in Subiaco remains a topic of some dispute.

Nicolaus Cusanus performed a mediating role during the ecclesiastical reform era of the 15th century. At the Council of Basel he succeeded in reaching an important compromise with the seditious Hussites. Beginning in 1436, Cusanus played a supporting role in Papal politics as a diplomat. One of his goals in this regard was to prevent the separation of the Orthodox Church from the Catholic Church. Like many humanists, Cusanus was a passionate book collector. His scholar’s library, which holds 314 manuscripts and many manuscripts, stands as the oldest surviving scholar’s library in Germany.