Albertus Magnus (Albert the Geeat), a scholar of the 13th century. He was of a noble Swabian family, studied at Padua, and entered the Dominican order. He was employed as a teacher in various schools, especially at Cologne. In 1254 he was appointed provincial of his order in Germany, and in 1260 bishop of Ratisbon. In 1262 he returned to his convent, and died there in 1280. He was perhaps the most learned man that the middle ages produced. The titles of his works fill many pages in catalogues, and all branches of human knowledge, theology, philosophy, natural history, physics, astronomy, and alchemy, are represented in them. He devoted himself especially to the study of Aristotle and of the Arab philosophy. His contemporaries, marvelling at his learning, regarded him as a magician, and he became the subject of many legendary stories. But his works prove that he had more patience than genius; he accumulates citations from his immense reading almost by chance, and settles vital problems by carefully balancing the weight of authorities.

He had numerous disciples (of whom Thomas Aquinas was the most distinguished), called Albertists, who propagated his doctrines, and confirmed the vogue of Aristotle during the middle ages.