The Child Prodigy Of Lübeck - The Smartest Child Who Ever Lived
Christian Heineken was perhaps the greatest child prodigy that ever lived. He only lived to four years old yet what he was able to accomplish in his short life is astonishing.
He could speak multiple languages and was a biblical scholar. He was so impressive that he became an advisor to the King of Denmark.
I realize that this sounds preposterous for such a young boy to be a valued member of a Royal court during the Enlightenment, but the life and times of Christian Heineken are quite well documented. The source material is mostly in German, but it is confirmed that he indeed had correspondence with leading figures of the time. Immanuel Kant wrote an essay about him shortly after his death.
Christian Heineken was born in Lübeck, Germany and lived from 1721-1726. How sad that such a prodigious mind died so young.
Engraving of Christian Heineken working in his study was found in google images.
That kid must have been spawning knowledge by the second. How did he die?
Yes, it must of been fascinating for the people to hear his thoughts.
He died of celiac disease. I think it’s some sort of extreme gluten intolerance.