Berthold Schwarz, a German alchemist, whose real name was believed to be Konstan-tin Ancklitzen, born in Freiburg, Breisgau, probably in the beginning of the 14th century. He was a Franciscan monk either at Mentz or at Nuremberg, and his cloistral name was Berthold. The surnames of Schwarz ("black") and "the Black Barthel" were given him on account of his partiality for the black art; and he is said to have discovered gunpowder while in prison on a charge of sorcery. According to other versions, he discovered it either at Cologne or at Goslar. Whether he made an original discovery of the composition of gunpowder, or merely devised its application to war and the chase, is equally uncertain; but the latter is more probable, as gunpowder is supposed to have been known in 1330, and before other dates assigned to his alleged discovery; and he may have acquired information about it from manuscripts in the monasteries.

A monument to his memory was erected at Freiburg in 1853.