Paul Fleming

FLEMING, Paul. b. Hartenstein, near Zwickau, Saxony, 5 October 1609; d. Hamburg, 2 April 1640. He was educated at Mittweida, Saxony, then at St Thomas’ School, Leipzig, followed by the University of Leipzig (BA 1632, MA 1633), where he studied medicine, but also wrote poetry, inspired by Martin Opitz*. To avoid the Thirty Years’ War, Fleming moved to Holstein, and joined various expeditions organised by Duke Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein to Russia and other East European countries between 1633 and 1639, travelling to such countries as Russia, Azerbaijan and present-day Iran. These expeditions were attempts to open up new trade routes and to facilitate the spread of Christianity, but they...