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."

• Anton Praetorius (1560–1613), pastor, fighter against the persecution of witches and against torture
• Bartholomaeus Praetorius (c.1590–1623), composer and cornettist
• Christoph Praetorius (died 1609), composer, and uncle of Michael
• Franz Praetorius (1847–1927), semitist and Hebraist
• Hieronymus Praetorius (1560–1629), composer and organist
• Ida Praetorius (born 1993), Danish ballerina
• Jacob Praetorius (c.1530–1586), composer and organist, and father of Hieronymus
• Jacob Praetorius (1586–1651), composer, organist and teacher, and son of Hieronymus
• Johannes Praetorius (1537–1616), mathematician and astronomer
• Johannes Praetorius (musician) (1595–1660), organist and composer; son of Hieronymus and brother of Jacob
• Johannes Praetorius (writer) (1630–1680), writer and polymath, real name Hans Schultze
• Matthäus Prätorius (1635–1704), pastor, priest, historian, ethnographer
• Michael Praetorius (c.1571–1621), composer ("Terpsichore"), music theorist, and organist
• Stephan Praetorius (1536–1603), theologian

Other uses

• "Praetorius (Courante)," a song by Blackmore’s Night from their 2001 album Fires at Midnight
• Cary Grant plays Dr. Noah Praetorius in People Will Talk (1951; dir. Joseph Mankiewicz).
• Praetorius (film), 1965 West German film

See also

• Pretorius
• Scultetus
• All pages with titles containing Praetorius