Michael van Langren

Michael Florent van Langren (bapt. 27 April 1598 Amsterdam – May 1675 Brussels) was a Dutch astronomer and cartographer. His Latinized name is Langrenus.

Michael van Langren was the youngest member of a family of Dutch cartographers. His grandfather, Jacob Floris van Langren was born in Gelderland but moved to the Southern Netherlands and later to Amsterdam, where his sons Arnoldus and Henricus were born. Unusually, each member of the family retained the second name Floris rather than a patronym. Jacob and his sons produced globes from 1580, both terrestrial and celestial. A 1586 pair survives, the celestial globe based on astronomical data provided by Rudolf Snellius father of Willebrord Snellius, while Petrus Plancius collaborated on the 1589 edition. In 1592, the States General granted the Van Langren family a monopoly in the production of globes, which led to quarrels with Jodocus Hondius.

Arnold and Henricus produced maps as well. Their world maps of the mid 1590s usually were drawn after maps by Plancius or Ortelius, but sometimes contained novelties based on recent discoveries (e.g. Nova Zembla as an island, Korea as a peninsula).

Arnold moved with his family, which included his sons Jacob and Michael, from Amsterdam to Antwerp around the year 1609. He got the title of "Sphérographe de leurs Altesses" and was awarded a grant of 300 livres towards the expense of his move.

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