Praetorius

Praetorius, Prätorius, Prætorius was the name of several musicians and scholars in Germany.

In 16th and 17th century Germany it became a fashion for educated people named "Schulze," "Schultheiß," or "Richter" (which means "judge"), to Latinise their names as "Praetorius," referring to a former official position called "Praetor urbanus."^{[citation needed]}

• Anton Praetorius (1560–1613), pastor and fighter against the persecution of witches and against torture
• Bartholomaeus Praetorius (c.1590–1623), composer and cornettist
• Christoph Praetorius (died 1609), composer; uncle of Michael
• Franz Praetorius [de] (1847–1927), semitist and Hebraist
• Jacob Praetorius the Elder (c.1520–1586), composer and organist; father of Hieronymus the Elder
  • Hieronymus Praetorius the Elder (1560–1629), composer and organist; son of Jacob the Elder, father of Jacob, Hieronymus, and Johann
    • Jacob Praetorius the Younger (1586–1651), composer, organist, and teacher; son of Hieronymus the Elder, brother of Johann and Hieronymus
    • Hieronymus Praetorius the Younger (1595–1651), clergyman, theologian, physicist, and university professor; son of Hieronymus the Elder, brother of Jacob and Johann
    • Johann Praetorius (1595–1660), organist and composer; son of Hieronymus the Elder, brother of Jacob and Hieronymus
• Ida Praetorius (born 1993), Danish ballerina
• Johann Praetorius (musician) (1634–1705), educator, astronomer, and musician
• Johannes Praetorius (mathematician) or Johann Richter (1537–1616), mathematician and astronomer
• Johannes Praetorius (historian) (1630–1680), writer and polymath, real name Hans Schultze
• Matthäus Prätorius (1635–1704), pastor, priest, historian, and ethnographer
• Michael Praetorius (c.1571–1621), composer, music theorist, and organist
• Stephan Praetorius (1536–1603), theologian
• Zacharias Praetorius (1535–1575), pen name of German Protestant theologian Zacharias Breiter