Editing Martin Behaim (section)

==Biography==
[[Image:Nuernberg-behaim-denkmal-v-so.jpg|thumb|250px|Monument of Martin Behaim in the Theresienplatz, [[Nuremberg]]]]
Behaim was born in [[Nuremberg]] on 6 October 1459, the oldest son of Martin Behaim and Agnes Schopper. The elder Martin was a merchant involved in long-distance trade within Europe, including Venice; in 1461 he was elected a senator of Nuremberg. Their son, as a member of a prominent and prosperous family, likely received a good education at one of the best grammar schools in the city. Contrary to later assertions, it is unlikely that he was ever a student of the famous Renaissance mathematician and astronomer, [[Regiomontanus]].<ref name=Görz>Görz, 2007</ref><ref name=Ravenstein>Ravenstein, 1908</ref>

When his father died in 1474, Martin's uncle Leonhard sent him at 15 to [[Mechelen]], Flanders to gain experience as a textile merchant. There he joined the business of Jorius van Dorpp, a vendor of clothing. In 1477 they visited Antwerp where van Dorpp sold his wares to a German merchant; later that same year Behaim attended the Frankfurt fair with Bartels von Eyb, a friend of the family. Writing to his uncle in 1478, Behaim expressed a desire to improve his business prospects by moving to Antwerp, a leading center of the cloth trade.  The following year he moved to Antwerp and joined the cloth dye house of Fritz Heberlein, a native of Nuremberg.<ref name="Ravenstein" />

In 1484 Behaim moved to [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]] and set up residence in [[Lisbon]]. The circumstances behind this move are unclear but Lisbon was the hub of a wide-ranging trade network that included spices, slaves, and gold from Africa and Behaim was likely looking for trading opportunities.<ref name="Görz" /> He quickly found favor as a counselor in the court of King [[John II of Portugal|John II]] where he supposedly provided advice on navigation and astronomy. However, despite assertions by his early biographers, there is no evidence that Behaim made any significant contributions in these areas. Claims that he taught celestial navigation or introduced the Portuguese to new navigational instruments are belied by the fact that these technologies were already known and used by Portuguese mariners. He may have acted as an importer of scientific instruments, the finest of which were produced at that time in his native town of Nuremberg.<ref name="Görz" /><ref name="Ravenstein" />

On 18 February 1485 Behaim was knighted by John II, presumably for his contributions as adviser on navigation and astronomy but there is no record of the exact reasons for his honor.<ref name="Ravenstein" />

It appears that Behaim participated in a voyage to [[West Africa]] around 1485; however it is unlikely that he accompanied [[Diogo Cão]] on his second expedition as is sometimes claimed.<ref>Diffie & Winius, 1977</ref> It is more likely that he participated in a trading voyage to Guinea led by [[João Afonso de Aveiro]].<ref name="Ravenstein" />

Following his marriage to Joana de Macedo in 1486, he resided on the Portuguese island of [[Faial Island|Faial]] in the [[Azores]], where his father-in-law, [[Josse van Huerter]], was [[Captain-major|Captain-donatário]] and leader of the Flemish community.  In 1490, Behaim returned to Nuremberg to settle a will case, and remained in the city for three years. He managed to convince leading members of the city council to finance the construction of his famous [[Erdapfel|terrestrial globe]] under his direction.<ref name="Görz" /> He returned to Faial in 1493 by way of Flanders and Lisbon, and he remained there until 1506.<ref name="Ravenstein" />

Behaim died in the hospice of Saint Bartholomew on 29 July 1507 while visiting Lisbon for business.<ref name="Görz" />