Nicholas of Cusa, also referred to as Nicholas of Kues and Nicolaus Cusanus, was a German Catholic bishop and polymath active as a philosopher, theologian, jurist, mathematician, and astronomer. One of the first German proponents of Renaissance humanism, he made spiritual and political contributions to European culture. A notable example of this is his mystical or spiritual writings on "learned ignorance", as well as his participation in power struggles between Rome and the German states of the Holy Roman Empire. 1401 – August 21, 1464; died at about 63. Alive at the same time as Leonardo da Vinci, Christopher Columbus, Joan of Arc, Jan Hus, and François Villon. Wiki link