About Franz Kessler
Lived 1580 – 1650 (aged 69–70). Franz Kessler was a German painter and inventor.
Franz Kessler (c. 1580–1650) was a portrait painter, scholar, inventor and alchemist living in the Holy Roman Empire during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Writing He wrote a number of books and pamphlets: a book on stoves, on making sundials, on using a "sector" or "proportional instrument" (a simple calculator), and on using "Napier's bones" (another calculator) – among other works.
Painting In the 1620s and 1630s, he was a portrait painter in Cologne, Germany.
Inventions He wrote a book called Unterschiedliche bisshero mehrern Theils Secreta oder verborgene, geheime Kunste (Various until now mostly Secreta or hidden, secret arts), which was published in Oppenheim in 1616. The first five chapters of this book deal with communicating via a crude Aldis lamp.
In the same year he built an improved diving bell.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Franz Kessler's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Franz Kessler?
Franz Kessler (c. 1580–1650) was a portrait painter, scholar, inventor and alchemist (1580–1650)
When was Franz Kessler born?
Franz Kessler was born on 18 June 1580 in Wetzlar.
When did Franz Kessler die?
Franz Kessler died in 1650 in Gdańsk.
What was Franz Kessler's occupation?
Franz Kessler was a painter and inventor.
What nationality was Franz Kessler?
Franz Kessler was German.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Franz Kessler. https://biography.guide/franz-kessler/
MLA: "Franz Kessler." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/franz-kessler/.
Chicago: "Franz Kessler." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/franz-kessler/.
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