Heinrich Khunrath, also known as Dr. Henricus Khunrath, was a notable physician, Hermetic philosopher, and alchemist. He is best known for his work _Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae_ (Amphitheater of Eternal Wisdom), which explores the mystical aspects of alchemy and is famous for the engraving entitled “The First Stage of the Great Work,” commonly known as the “Alchemist's Laboratory.” This work was first published in Hamburg in 1595 and later expanded and republished in Hanau in 1609. Frances Yates regarded Khunrath as a link between John Dee's philosophy and Rosicrucianism.

Khunrath was born around 1560 in Germany, possibly in Dresden or Leipzig. He might be related to another physician from Leipzig named Conrad Khunrath. In the winter of 1570, he may have enrolled at the University of Leipzig under the name Henricus Conrad Lips. His life is marked by uncertainties, partly due to his use of multiple names. It is known that he matriculated at the University of Basel, Switzerland, in May 1588 and earned his Doctor of Medicine degree on September 3, 1588, after defending twenty-eight doctoral theses.

Khunrath practiced medicine in Dresden, Magdeburg, and Hamburg and might have held a professorial position in Leipzig. As a disciple of Paracelsus, he adhered to Paracelsian beliefs of divine initiation into wisdom. He aimed to develop Christianized natural magic, seeking the secret primary matter that would lead to eternal wisdom, while valuing experience and observation as the foundation of his work.

Khunrath's engagements with John Dee, Johann Tholde, and his Paracelsian beliefs inspired him to create a Christianized version of natural magic. His first significant work, _Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae_, was published in 1595. The book is an alchemical classic that combines Christianity with magic, featuring elaborate, hand-colored engravings enhanced with gold and silver. It illustrates the intricate and multi-staged process of spiritual perfection and contains Kabbalistic elements that foreshadow Rosicrucianism.

Although _Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae_ was condemned by the Sorbonne on February 1, 1625, it remained influential and popular throughout the seventeenth century and continued to be republished into the twentieth century. Khunrath's motto, found in many of his works, was “Was helffn Fackeln, Liecht oder Brilln, Wann die Leute nicht sehen wšlln?” (What good are torches, light, or spectacles, to those who will not see?). He saw his work as a path to illumination.

Khunrath may have faced some opposition to his alchemical ideas, as most of his publications on alchemy appeared widely after his death. He died in poverty on September 9, 1605, in either Dresden or Leipzig. The tension between spirituality and experimentation in _Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae_ contributed to its condemnation by the Sorbonne.

A rare first edition of _Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae_ is held in the Duveen Collection at the Department of Special Collections, University of Wisconsin-Madison. This edition is noted for its generous margins and hand-coloring. Only two other copies of this first edition are known to exist. The Department of Special Collections has created a Web-based introduction to Khunrath's work, featuring close-up examinations of the symbolic and textual information in the engraved illustrations, with funding from the Brittingham Fund.