Historic Sundial after Georg Brentel the Younger

Introduction

From the 15th to the 17th century, the heyday of science and instrument making took place. Hans Lipperhey, Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei built the first telescopes. Georg Peuerbach and Regiomontanus introduced the earth-parallel gnomon in Europe. John Harrison solved with his precise chronometers the problem of calculating longitude while at sea.

During this time, the scholars Rudolf von Graffenried and Georg Brentel the Younger dealt with the timekeeping and especially sundials. They wrote books and articles about the timekeeping with the sundial and the necessary instruments they attached as cutting sheets to the textbooks. The dials had to be cut out by the customers, glued to a wooden plate and then tilted at a certain angle to the ground to be functional.

Exclusively at Helios sundials, the studied graphic designer Jens Schmitz-Scherzer now presents his hand-drawn, meticulously crafted cardboard kits based on the original dials of the two brilliant gnomonicians. Enclosed you find a well-understood construction manual (German), a detailed instruction manual and a small treatise on the time measuring. In addition,  Prof. Dr. med. Karl G. Hofbauer wrote a biography of the designers. With a little craftsmanship come out of it fully functional sundials, equipped with a compass and a gnomon.

Sundial after Georg Brentel the Younger

This sundial with the original dial by Georg Brentel the Younger has dials inside! Namely, a south sundial flanked by a polar east and a polar west sundial. The gnomon is a ball in the center. The shadow of the ball indicates both the true solar time and the date.

The sundials are calculated for 47.5°N. With the help of prisms, the sundial can be tilted for different latitudes between 39.5°N and 55.5°N. The built-in compass allows you to align the sundial to the north.