Year of Jan Heweliusz Kicks Off

Astronomer and one-time mayor of Gdansk, Jan Heweliusz (also known as Johannes Hevelius) was born exactly 400 years ago, and to celebrate, the year of 2011 has been named the year of Heweliusz in Gdansk.

While Heweliusz came from an originally Bohemian and German-speaking family, he considered himself part of Polish society in what was then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Heweliusz had many astronomical achievements throughout his career, beginning with the construction of an observatory in 1641. As the founder of lunar topography he spent four years charting the moon. He also created an atlas of constellations, seven of which are still in use.

The year of Jan Heweliusz will kick off just a few days after his birthday, with an inaugural concert on 31 January. American jazz singer and Grammy award winner Cassandra Wilson will perform.