Sorry , but I completely disagree , that Copernicus was born in Poland. Copernicus was not born in Poland , he was born and he died in Prussia. Every map of the time tells you the name of the country was Prussia or Preussen.
There were only were few hantpainted maps before 1500 (book printing started by 1470). Schedelsche Weltchronik 1493 shows most cities and places for the first time. The first more detailed map of Prussia was not till 1539 and in 1547 by Sebastian Muenster. Give me your email and I will send a copy of that map, which clearly shows Preussen and Thorn.
Earlier maps only showed the name of the country written in the general area, no borderlines. Borders changed constantly from duke to count to margrave etc. This did not affect the Land and the people. They were not exchanged everytime a ruler changed. This was all worked out under the emperor.
Maps from 1577 do not even list Poland or Lithuania at all. It shows Livonia and Prussia (with Lithuania and Poland just written in as names , but not listed). This was at the time after the death of the last Jagiello 1570 (72?). (When a ruler died out the land reverted back to the empire, who then loaned it out to some other ruler.)
Nicolaus Copernicus never called himself Polish, nore did his contemporaries. He never signed his name M or Mikolai (Polish language for Nicolaus) . He did sign his name N. or Nicolaus. Since age of 10 he was raised and educated by his uncle Lucas Watzenrode or Watzelrode in Ermland. Ermland was an excempt bishopric. Copernicus did sign in as German at the German learning facility (uni ?) in Italy. He did write German letters. He did represent Prussia in the Prussian coin reform and wrote on this subject ( I think printed in Dan(t)zig in 1494 in any case before the Copernican treatise) Thorn , where he was born was a Hanseatic League city , it became wholly protestant. By 1642 anti-reformation brought in catholics in too.
While some areas of Prussia came under some nominal rule by the "Polish crown" (which meant under the imperial Habsburg-Jagiellos , Vasas and Wettins), none of the different Prussian lands ever where a part of Poland (even though "Polish" kings tried to annex, unsuccessfully).
Since the first official state of Prussia under the Teutonic Kinights the court or official language in all the Prussian lands was German.
See the Preussische Regesten PrUB Prussian Urkunden Record books (on internet by Stuart Jenks, 1234 giving citizenship of the empire to people of Prussia, Livonia etc).
see the church books from Thorn (unfortunately not before 1600):
LDS -http://www.familysearch.com Place search : filmed since 1920,show all church record films of Kirchenbuecher in Latin and German language (Polish titles below added after 1945 , still show films of actual Kirchenbuecher in Latin and German).
Topic Germany, Preußen, Westpreußen, Thorn - Church records
Titles Kirchenbuch, 1605-1944 Evangelische Kirche Neustadt Thorn (KrSt?. Thorn) Kirchenbuch, 1773-1920 Evangelische Kirche. Militärgemeinde Thorn
Kirchenbuch, 1600-1944 Evangelische Kirche Altstadt Thorn (KrSt?. Thorn)
Kirchenbuch, 1629-1944 Evangelische Kirche Sankt Georg Thorn (KrSt?. Thorn)
Kirchenbuch, 1677-1862 Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche Thorn (KrSt?. Thorn)
Kirchenbuch, 1833-1868 Preußen. Armee. Infanterie Regiment 33 (Ostpreußisches Füsilier)
Kirchenbuch, 1773-1808 Preußen. Armee. Infanterie Regiment 53
Ksiegi metrykalne, 1670-1890 Kosciól rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja Sw. Jakuba, Torun (Torun)
Ksiegi metrykalne, 1717-1874 Kosciól rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja Sw. Marii Panny Torun (Torun)
Ksiegi metrykalne, 1642-1890 Kosciól rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja Sw. Jana, Torun (Torun)
Thorn, Westpreußen, Prussia, Evang. Kirche Sankt Georgen; computer printout, christenings, 1854-1875 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Department
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