The German cardinal Nicholas of Cusa (Nikolaus von Kues Nicolaus Cusanus 1401-1464) is mostly
known today for his elaborate philosophical work. As one of the first proponents of Renaissance
humanism he was a key figure of the fifteenth century. In contrast to the traditional medieval
Aristotelian cosmology he developed the concept of an Universum Infinitum (infinite universe).
This leads to the innovative question of which epistemological or historical connections can be
discerned to connect his writings to the contemporary beginnings of global explorations that
culminated in the discovery of the New World(s).This question was discussed in 2016 during an
international workshop at the National Library of Portugal. The interdisciplinary meeting of
which the results are published here was organized by Thomas Horst (Faculty of Science
University of Lisbon) in close cooperation with Harald Schwaetzer and Matthias Vollet (Kueser
Akademie für Europäische Geistesgeschichte Bernkastel-Kues).The EditorsThomas Horst works as a
postdoc at the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa where he studies cosmographical
knowledge and transcultural relations (in particular German-Portuguese networks) in the early
modern period.
