Events in Religion and Philosophy
in German, Austrian and Swiss History
October
© 2000 by Paul A. Schons
October 1, 1911
Death of Wilhelm Dilthey in South Tyrol. A philosopher, Dilthey taught at the Universities of Basel, Kiel, Breslau and Berlin. Dilthey was distressed at the deep seated influence of the natural sciences in contemporary thought. He developed a notion of "Geisteswissenschaften". He sought to depart from the methodological ideal of the natural sciences and establish a separate, legitimate methodology for the humanities. Significant works by Dilthey include, "Einleitung in die Geisteswissenschaften, and Studien zur Geschichte des deutschen Geistes".
October 1, 1942
Birth of Guenter Wallraf in Burscheid, Germany. Wallraf was one of the leading Catholic scholars on the subject of codetermination.
October 2, 1872
Death of Franz (changed to Francis) Lieber in New York City (born in Berlin, Germany). Lieber was a political philosopher who studied at the University of Jena. He encountered political difficulties in Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1827. In America he undertook the first edition of "Encyclopedia Americana". He was a professor at the University of South Carolina and Columbia College. Seeing a need for a code for the conduct of soldiers for the protection of civilians he wrote "Code for the Government of Armies in the Field" (1863) for the Union army. Many of his ideas were later adapted to international agreements regulating conduct in war.
October 3, 1210
It is most likely that Hermann von Salza was elected Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights on this date. He held that office until 1239. He governed the Knights during the crusade in Hungary and during the crusade against the pagan Prussians which would result in the creation of Prussia as a German land.
October 3, 1824
Birth of Harry Graf von Arnim in Moitzelfitz, Germany (now Poland). As Prussian envoy to the Holy See in 1864 he actively supported the bishops opposed to the declaration of papal infallibility. Later a controversy arose in which he was accused of stealing official documents, was arrested and sent to prison. When he was released he fled to France. He died in Nice, France in 1881. His case gave rise to the "Arnim Paragraph", a law making disclosure of official documents a criminal offense.
Harry, Graf von Arnim wurde am 3. Oktober 1824 in Moitzelfitz geboren und starb am 19. Mai 1881 in Frankreich. Er war ein preussischer Diplomat und stand in Opposition zu Bismarck. Dies fuehrte zu seiner Strafverfolgung und zur Aufstellung der Arnim Paragraphen als Zusatz zur deutschen Strafprozessordnung. Als Folge dessen wurde die nichtautorisierte Offenlegung offizieller Dokumente zum kriminellen Vergehen. Arnim trat 1850 in den diplomatischen Dienst und arbeitete in Rom, Lissabon und als preussischer Gesandte. In Frankreich arrangierte er unter anderem die Reparationszahlungen aus dem deutsch-franzoesischen Krieg. Arnim wurde beschuldigt, wichtige offizielle Unterlagen aus der Pariser Botschaft entwendet zu haben. Er wurde daraufhin festgenommen und zu einer Gefaengnisstrafe verurteilt. Spaeter ging er ins Exil und veroeffentichte anonym “Pro Nihilo”, in dem er seine Schande Bismarcks Eifersucht zuschrieb.
October 4, 1797
Birth of Jeremias Gotthelf in Morat, Switzerland. Jeremias Gotthelf was a pseudonym chosen by the writer, Albert Bitzius. His books were intended to extend his duties as a pastor and stress religion and conservative values. Noted works by Gotthelf include "Die schwarze Spinne", "Uli der Knecht", and "Leiden und Freuden eines Schulmeisters".
October 4, 1903
Suicide of Otto Weininger in Vienna, Austria. Weininger, the son of a Jewish family, became a Christian immediately upon his receipt of a doctorate from the University of Vienna in 1902. The following year he published a book "Geschlecht und Charakter" (1903) in which he attributed positive, productive and moral characteristics to what he called "masculine character" and negative, unproductive and amoral characteristics to what he called "feminine character". He went on to describe Judaism as feminine and thus negative, unproductive, and amoral as opposed to Christianity with its very positive characteristics. Needless to say the anti-Semites were quite fond of his book. Weininger committed suicide at age 23 soon after his book was published.
October 6, 1090
Death of St. Adalbero von Würzburg (ca. 1010 – 1090) St. Adalbero was born in Austria in the palace of Lambach (near Linz). He studied in Würzburg and in 1045 became the Bishop of Würzburg. He was a supporter of the Cluny reforms. During the investiture controversies he supported Pope Gregory VII against Heinrich IV. In the process he lost his bishopric. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1883.
October 6, 1101
St. Bruno von Köln (ca. 1030 - 1101) St. Bruno was born in Cologne, Germany to the Hartenfaust family in about 1055. He was an instructor in theology at the Cathedral School in Reims (modern France) and later the director of the school. After 1080 he became a hermit. He founded the Carthusian Order, embracing a life of poverty, manual work, prayer and the transcription of manuscripts. The order was founded while Bruno was living in isolation near Grenoble (modern France) His feast day is October 6. He was never formally canonized due to the reluctance of the Carthusian order to accept public honors, but Pope Clement X designated his feast day as a "double feast" and he is regarded as a saint.
October 6, 1520
Martin Luther publishes an essay on the "Babylonian Captivity of the Church" refuting the Church's sacramental system.
October 6, 1866
Birth of the Swiss writer, Heinrich Federer, in Brienz, Switzerland. A devout Catholic, Federer was inspired by St. Francis of Assisi and brought that spirit into his writing. Works by Federer include "Der heilige Franz von Assisi", "Berge und Menschen", and "Papst und Kaiser im Dorf".
October 7, 1938
Starting on this date all passports of German Jews had to be stamped with a "J".
October 7, 2001
Pope John-Paul II beatifies Nikolaus Groß and Maria Euthymia Üffing.
October 9, 1045
Death of St. Günther von Thüringen. St. Günther was born in Schwarzburg, Germany. He had been a knight from a noble family until he entered a monastery in Herford in 1005. At that time he gave all his wealth and worldly property to the church. He became a hermit in 1008 and lived in that state for 30 years and then became a preacher. It is said that his preaching had powerful impact and often brought tears to the eyes of his listeners. His designation as a saint precedes the practice of canonization by the Pope.
October 9, 1047
Death of Suidiger (Pope Clement II), the second German pope. Suidiger had been the bishop of Bamberg. He was installed as pope by the German king Heinrich III on December 25, 1046. (There had been three men claiming the office of pope. Heinrich III deposed all three and installed Suidiger as Clement II.) Clement II is most noted for his efforts to eliminate simony (the buying and selling of church offices). He convoked the council of Rome in 1047. He died in 1047. He was buried at Bamberg and is the only pope to be buried in Germany.
October 9, 1950
Death of Nicolai Hartmann in Riga, Latvia. Hartmann, a philosopher was a professor at the universities of Marburg, Cologne, Berlin and Göttingen. He started his career as a Neo-Kantian but drifted away from those ideas by the time of the publication of his Neue Wege der Ontologie (1942).
October 11, 1491
Death of Blessed Jakob Griesinger. Little is known of Jakob Griesinger, also known as Jakob von Ulm and as Alemannus. He was born in Ulm, Germany in 1407 and trained as a glass blower. He undertook a trip to the holy sites in Rome and on the return trip stooped to pray at the grave of St. Dominic. He then entered the Dominican order in Bologna. He became the glass maker for the order there and achieved note for the fine glass works and stained glass windows he produced. His remains are preserved in a glass shrine in Bologna. He was beatified in 1825 by Pope Leo XII. His feast day is designated as October 11.
October 11, 1531
Ulrich Zwingli dies in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland. Zwingli was the most influential church reformer in the development of Swiss Protestantism. He studied at the Universities of Vienna and Basel. He was ordained a priest in 1506. In his early years Zwingli criticized some of the abuses of the church of those times and in a minor way was involved in the questioning of the practice of indulgences. By 1522, however, his views had developed sufficiently to lead to controversy in the church. He questioned fasting and the celibacy of priests. In 1523 he published his 67 Artikel. Progressively his leadership led to the removal of images from churches, the removal of organs and the replacement of the mass with a communion service. In 1529 the Zuericher Bibel was completed. He married Anna Reinhard on April 2, 1542. He fell into disagreement with Martin Luther on the question of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Ultimately the Swiss reforms led to the Second War of Kappel in which Zwingli was killed.
October 12, 1518
Having been called to the offices of Cardinal Thomas Cajetan, Martin luther refuses to retreat from the positions taken in his 95 thesis on indulgences. The theses had been posted a year earlier on the door of the Hofkirche in Wittenberg. (The church still stands although the wooden doors are gone. They have been replaced with bronze doors with the 95 theses embossed onto them.)
October 12, 1576
Death of Maximilian II. in Regensburg, Germany. Maximilian became Holy Roman Emperor in 1546. He tried to instill tolerance between Catholics and the new Protestants.
October 12, 1618 Death of Jakob Rem (1546-1618)
Jakob Rem, who is currently being considered for beatification, was born in Bregenz, Austria in 1546. He became a member of the Jesuit Order in 1566. He was dedicated to Christian education and was active during his lifetime in Ingolstadt, Germany; Dillingen, Germany; Munich, Germany. He founded the student group of the Congregation of Mary.
October 12, 1891 Birth of Edith Stein in Breslau, Germany (Poland since 1945).
Birth of Edith Stein in Breslau, Germany (now Poland). Stein converted from Judaism to Catholicism (1904) and became a Carmelite nun. She earned her doctorate at the University of Göttingen in philosophy. She subsequently taught at Göttingen. She became a teacher at the Institute for Pedagogy in Münster in 1932, but had to resign shortly thereafter due to growing antisemitism in Germany. She entered the Carmelite convent in Cologne in 1934 taking the name, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. In 1938 due to increasing Nazi pressure she moved to the convent in Echt, Holland. There she was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz where she was murdered in a gas chamber. She was beatified in 1987. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1999. Works by Stein include “Endliches und ewiges Sein”, and “Studie über Jonnes a Cruce: Kreuzeswissenschaft”.
October 13, 1919 Birth of Hans Hermann Gröer in Vienna, Austria.
Hans Hermann Gröer was born on October 13, 1919 in Vienna, Austria. He was ordained a priest in 1942. In 1986 he was named Archbishop of Vienna. In 1988 he was raised to Cardinal.
Hans Hermann Gröer wurde am 13. Oktober 1919 in Wien geboren. Er wurde 1942 zum Priester geweiht. 1986 wurde er zum Erzbischof von Wien ernannt. 1988 wurde er zum Kardinal erhoben.
October 15, Feast day of St. Pantalus (ca. 304 - ?)
St. Pantalus is thought to have been the first bishop of Basel, Switzerland. Available documentation indicates that he was a Martyr. By the 12th century his story had become interwoven with the legends of St.Ursula. According to those legends he met St. Ursula on her return trip from Rome to Cologne and accompanied her to Cologne, where he, along with Ursula and her many companions, was killed by the attacking Huns. A scull was found in Cologne in the middle ages which was said to be that of St. Pantalus. The scull is preserved today in the historical museum in Basel. Pantalus' stature as a saint predates the practice of canonization by a Pope. The feast day of St. Pantalus is October 13.
October 13, 1694
Death of Samuel Freiherr von Pufendorf in Berlin (born in Dorfchemnitz, Saxony). Pufendorf encountered Descartes, Grotius and Thomas Hobbes while at Jena. He went on to become one of the developers of the concept of "natural law". Based on his first work on natural law, Elementorum Jurisprudentiae Universalis Libri Duo, a chair in natural law was created for him at the University of Heidelberg. After his De Statu Imperii Germanici ad laelium Fratrem Dominum Trezolani Liber Unus of 1667 which was a fierce attach on the structure of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria he immigrated to Sweden. In Sweden he took the chair in natural law at the University of Lund. Among Pufendorf's insights were that every individual, on the basis of human dignity, has the right to equality and freedom; there is no such thing as a natural slave; and master-servant relationships are valid only on the basis of common agreement. In 1688 Pufendorf moved to Berlin to become historiographer to the elector of Brandenburg and was made a baron in 1694.
October 14, 1906
Birth of Hannah Arendt in Hannover, Germany. Arendt earned her doctorate at the University of Heidelberg. In 1933 she fled the new Nazi government first to France and then to the U. S. A. In New York she became the director of the Conference on Jewish Relations, the chief editor of Schocken Books and the executive director of Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc. Later she became a professor at the University of Chicago and the New School for Social Research in New York. Her books include, Origins of Totalitarianism, Eichmann in Jerusalem, On Violence and On Revolution.
Die deutsch-amerikanische Politikwissenschaftlerin und Philosophin Hannah Arendt wurde am 14. Oktober 1906 in Hannover geboren und starb am 4. Dezember 1975 in New York. Sie ist fuer ihre kritischen Schriften ueber juedische Angelegenheiten und fuer ihr Studium des totalitaeren Systems bekannt. Arendt studierte in Marburg, Freiburg und Heidelberg, Nach der Machtuebergreifung der Nazis fluechtete sie zuerst nach Paris und spaeter in die USA. In New York arbeitete sie als Vorsitzende der Konferenz juedischer Beziehungen, Herausgeberin der Schocken Buecher und Direktorin der Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc., die versuchte juedische Schriften zu bergen. Ihre Werke beinhalteten unter anderem “Origins of Totalitarianism”, “Eichmann in Jerusalem” und “The human condition”.
October 14, 1933
Edith Stein enters the Carmelite order in Cologne. She was canonized in 1999.
October 15, 1243 Death of St. Hedwig von Schliesen.
St. Hedwig von Schlesien was born in a castle near Lake Ammer (Bavaria) in 1174. She was educated in the monastery of Kitzingen. At age 12 she was married to Duke Heinrich I of Silesia. She dedicated herself to the spread of Christianity, care for the poor and sick and the founding of women's' monasteries. As personal mortification she developed the pattern of walking barefoot in the winter. The local bishop ordered her to wear shoes. To obey him and yet continue to do penance, she wore shoes in the winter, but on her hands. She was canonized in 1267 by Pope Clement IV. Germans exiled from Silesia after World War II have taken her as a special patron. (It was to large extent through the christianization efforts of Hedwig and Heinrich that the area of Silesia took on a German cultural pattern.) She has become a patron of all who are driven from their homelands. Her feast day is celebrated in the Lutheran tradition on October 15, but in the Catholic tradition on October 16.
October 15, 1835
Karl Marx enrolls at the University of Bonn.
October 15, 1844
Birth of the philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, in Roecken, Germany.
Der Philosoph Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche wurde am 15.10.1844 geboren. Er studierte ein Jahr Theologie an der Universitaet Bonn und spaeter Philologie an der Universitaet Leipzig. Bereits vor seiner Promotion wurde ihm eine Professur an der Universitaet Basel angeboten. Seine Gesundheit war allerdings so schwach, dass er nur einige Jahre unterrichten konnte. Nachdem er die Universitaet verliess, wendete sich Nietzsche verstaerkt der Philosophie zu. Einige seiner wichtigsten philosophischen Schriften sind "Also Sprach Zarathustra", "Die Froehliche Wissenschaft", "Ecce Homo", und "Jenseits von Gut und Boese".
October 16, 1946
Execution of Alfred Rosenberg in Nuernberg, Germany. Rosenberg moved to Munich, Germany in 1919 where he joined the young Nazi party. He edited the party's paper, Voelkischer Beobachter". It was he who drew from the English racist Houston Stewart Chamberlain's views and warned of a Jewish plot to take over the world. He was designated by Hitler to lead the party while he was in prison in the 20's. Possibly his most influential book was "Der Mythus des 20. Jahrhunderts" in 1934 in which he developed the basis of the idea of "German racial purity". After the war at the war crimes trials in Nuernberg Rosenberg was executed by the allies.
October 20, 1682
Birth of Blessed Maria Kreszentia Hoess. Maria Kreszentia Hoess was the daughter of a poor weaver. At age 14 she reported a vision in which angles urged her to become a Franciscan nun. She was taken into the order in 1703. During her time as a Franciscan she reported numerous additional visions. She was beatified in 1900 and in 1956 the process of canonization was initiated.
October 20, 1893
Death of Philip Schaff in New York (born in Chur, Switzerland). Schaff, an early proponent of Protestant/Catholic ecumenicism was educated at the Universities of Tuebingen, Halle, and Berlin. He was a lecturer at Berlin until he immigrated to the United States in 1844 and was appointed professor of church history at the theological seminary in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. He expressed the view that the principles of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism would one day be blended in a new kind of ecumenical, evangelical Catholicism. The view was very controversial for the times and broadly attacked. These ideas were developed and expanded into the equally controversial "Mercersburg Theology".
October 22 Feast Day of St. Cordula
Little is known of St. Cordula who was a very early Christian in Cologne. She is said to have been a member of the following of St. Ursula. She is believed to have been martyred by the invading Huns. Her relics are in a shrine in the Johanniterkirche in Cologne. St. Albertus Magnus spoke of her as a saint in 1278. Her designation as a saint precedes the practice of canonization by the Pope.
October 22, 1854
Death of Jeremias Gotthelf in Luetzelflueh, Switzerland. Jeremias Gotthelf was a pseudonym chosen by the pastor, Albert Bitzius. His books were intended to extend his duties as a pastor and stress religion and conservative values. Noted works by Gotthelf include "Die schwarze Spinne", "Uli der Knecht", and "Leiden und Freuden eines Schulmeisters".
Jeremias Gotthelf eigentlich Albert Bitzius, wurde am 4.10.1797 in Murten/Katon Freiburg geboren und starb am 22.10.1854 in Luetzelflueh/Kanton Bern. Er war Erzaehler und Romancier. Seine Werke beschrieb Gotthelf die Tugenden der Landbevoelkerung Berns und verteidigte das traditionelle Kirchen- und Familienleben. Gotthelf studierte Theologie in Bern und Goettingen und nahm an politschen Aktivitaeten teil, die die Herrschaft der Aristokratie beendeten. Gotthelf war zunaechst auf der Ebene des Erziehungs- und Armenwesens energisch bemueht, die allgemeine Volksschule durchzusetzen. In die Zeit nach 1834 fallen seine schriftstellerisch-publizistischen Anfaenge. Seinem “Der Bauernspiegel” folgten weitere Werke, einschliesslich “Leiden und Freuden eines Schulmeisters”, “Die Armennot” und “Uli der Knecht”. 1841-1844 uebernahm er die Redaktion des »Neuen Berner Kalenders«. Infolge seiner Kritik am bernischen Erziehungsdepartement wurde er 1845 seines Amtes als Schulkommissar enthoben. In seinen spaeteren Werken ist ein satirischer oder duesterer Grundton unueberhoerbar. Seine 13 Romane und mehr als 50 Kurzgeschichten zeigen nicht nur sein Genie als epischer Dichter und sein dichterisches Talent, sondern auch sein starkes Interesse an Menschen. NN
October 22, 1965
Death of Paul Tillich in Chicago. Tillich was a Protestant theologian who sought to integrate traditional Christianity and modern life. He was an early opponent to the Nazis. He was the first non-Jew to be barred from academic appointments in Germany. He immigrated to the U. S. and taught first in New York and then at the University of Chicago.
Paul Tillich wurde am 20. August 1886 in Starzeddel geboren und starb am 22. Oktober 1965 in Chicago. Die Diskussionen des Theologen und Philosophen ueber Gott und Glauben verbanden das traditionelle Christentum mit der modernen Kultur. Einige seiner Buecher, z.B. “The Courage to Be” und “Dynamics of Faith” erreichten einen grossen oeffentlichen Leserkreis, der gewoehnlich nicht mit religioesen Angelegenheiten beschaeftigt war. In diesen Werken erklaert er, dass die tiefsten Sorgen des Menschen zu einer Konfrontation mit der Wirklichkeit, die seine eigene begrenzte Existenz ueberschreitet, fuehren. “Systematic Theology” wird als Hoehepunkt seiner Untersuchungen des Glaubens angesehen.
October 23, 1842
Death Wilhelm Gesenius in Halle, Germany. Gesenius was a professor of theology at the University of Halle. As a theologian he was not remarkable, but he made major contribution to the study of Semitic languages, publishing several grammars and dictionaries.
October 23, 1874
Death of Abraham Geiger in Berlin, Germany (born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany). Geiger was a Rabbi at Wiesbaden, Breslau, Frankfurt and Berlin. His most noted work is "Uebersetzung der Bibel in ihrer Abhaengigkeit von der innern Entwicklung des Judentums" (1857). Geiger was highly influential in his times in Reform Judaism. He influenced the simplification of ritual, use of the vernacular in liturgy and the return to prophetic teachings. He worked to de-emphasize the importance of a return to Israel.
October 24, 1648
The final Treaty of Westphalia is signed, ending the Thirty Years War (1618-1648).
October 24, 1849
Death of Otto von Gerlach in Berlin, Germany. Gerlach was the pastor of the new St. Elisabeth Church in a working class district in Berlin where he introduced pastoral social work. He later became a professor of theology at the University of Berlin.
October 25, 1806
Birth of Max Stirner (pseudonym of Johann Kaspar Schmidt) in Bayreuth, Germany. Stirner was a philosopher in whom 19th and 20th Century anarchists have found inspiration. His most widely know book is "Der Einzige und sein Eigentum" of 1845. He had worked extensively with Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" and in his own views gave the ultimate primacy to individualism.
October 25, 1811
Birth of Carl Ferdinand Walther in Langenchursdorf, Germany. Walter was a highly conservative Protestant theologian. In 1839 he immigrated to Missouri, U. S. A. There, he founded the Missouri Synod of Lutheranism. He had gained his education at the University of Leipzig.
October 27, 1553
On October 27, 1553 the Spaniard, Michael Servetus was burned at the stake in Geneva, Switzerland for heresy and blasphemy. He had offended both Catholic and Protestant theologians with his speculations on the nature of the Trinity. Servetus had made repeated attempts to meet with and influence the Swiss reformer, John Calvin, but Calvin too found him offensive and is reported to have stated at one point that if Servetus ever came to Geneva, he would not allow him to leave alive. In Lyon Servetus was put on trial by the inquisition. He escaped, however, and was burned in effigy. Having made his way to Geneva, he was recognized there and put on trial again for heresy. In Geneva he was burned alive on October 27, 1553.
October 28, 1200 Birth of St. Ludwig IV von Thüringen (1200-1227)
Ludwig IV has never been formally canonized but has been regarded locally as a saint since shortly after his death. He led a pious life and was a good duke in Thuringia. He is remembered primarily due to the holiness of his wife, the very popular St. Elisabeth von Thüringen. (She was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1235.) Ludwig died during his participation in the 5th Crusade as a member of the Teutonic Knights (Deutscher Orden)
October 28, 1867
Birth of Hans Adolf Driesch in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. A philosopher and embryologist, Driesch was a leading voice against the view that life can be explained through purely physical or chemical processes. He was a professor at the universities of Heidelberg, Cologne and Leipzig. He was strongly influenced philosophically by Immanuel Kant.
October 29, 1879
Birth of Franz von Papen in Werl, Germany. Von Papen was a member of the Catholic Center Party in the parliament. Through a series of calculated political moves, von Papen was appointed Chancellor in 1932. In an attempt to appease the Nazi party in parliament, he lifted the ban on the SA. After only a few months he was outmaneuvered and replaced as chancellor by Kurt von Schleicher. Although he had been opposed to Hitler, von Papen made a deal with him on January 4, 1933 calculated to serve his own political interests. Von Papen then urged the President, von Hindenburg, to appoint Hitler Chancellor with himself as vice chancellor. Later he became ambassador to Austria, where he helped arrange the annexation and ambassador to Turkey where his mission was to keep Turkey out of an alliance with Germany's enemies.
October 30, 1952
Dr. Albert Schweitzer wins the Nobel Prize for Peace.
Albert Schweitzer wurde am 14.1.1875 in Kaysersberg im Elsass geboren. Der Theologe, Arzt und Organist gruendete 1913 in Lambarene (Gabun) ein Tropenhospital, in welchem er bis zu seinem Tode am 4.9.1965 als Missionsarzt wirkte. Schweitzer veroeffentlichte wissenschaftliche Schriften auf den Gebieten der Theologie, der Jesu-Forschung, Orgelforschung sowie ueber humanistische Probleme der heutigen Zeit. Fuer sein Wirken wurde Albert Schweitzer 1952 der Friedensnobelpreis verliehen.
October 31, 994 Death of St. Wolfgang (924 – 994)
St. Wolfgang was born in Pfullingen, Germany (in the modern state of Baden-Württemberg) in 924. He was born to a noble family. He studied at the monastic school of Reichenau and the cathedral school of Würzburg. In 956 he became a teacher at the cathedral school of Trier. He entered the Benedictine order in and was ordained a priest in 968. He was then sent as an missionary to the Magyars (modern Hungary). In 972 he was made the Bishop of Regensburg. In his capacity as Bishop in Regensburg he counseled and taught the man who would become Emperor Heinrich II (Holy Roman Empire—Heinrich was emperor from 1014 – 1024). He was very active in the development and reformation of a number of monasteries. It is reported that during his lifetime he worked miracles of healing.
Later in life St. Wolfgang became a hermit for a period of 7 years on the Lake now called the Lake of St. Wolfgang (modern Austria) (Wolfgangsee). He died in 994 at Pupping, Austria He was entombed in Regensburg at the monastery of St. Emmeram. His tomb was regarded early on as a holy place and miracles were reported worked there. He was canonized in 1052 by Pope Leo IX.
In German folklore rain on St. Wolfgang's day (October 31) is regarded as promising a good year. (An St. Wolfgang Regen verspricht ein Jahr voll Segen.)
October 31, 1517
Martin Luther posts his 95 theses on the wooden doors of the Hofkirche in Wittenberg. The church still stands, though the original doors are gone. The doors have been replaced with bronze doors with the 95 theses embossed onto them. (It was this act which initiated the constantly deteriorating relations between Martin Luther and the Church.)
Should you wish to read the 95 theses on this occassion, they are posted in English at:
http://www.wittenberg.de/e/seiten/95thesen.html
and in German at:
http://www.wittenberg.de/seiten/95thesen.html
There is a picture of the church and the doors as they exist today at:
http://www.wittenberg.de/e/seiten/schlossk/sk01.html
Martin Luther wurde am 10. November 1483 in Eisleben geboren. Eisleben liegt in den neuen Bundeslaendern. 1501 trat Luther in das Augustinerkloster zu Erfurt ein. 1507 wurde er zum Priester geweiht und 1512 wurde ihm der Titel `Doktor der Theologie' verliehen. 1512 wurde er Professor der Bibelauslegung an der Universitaet Wittenberg. 1517 erschienen seine 95 Thesen gegen den Ablass. Diese brachten ihn in Schwierigkeiten mit der katholischen Kirche unter Papst Leo X. Im Jahre 1525 heiratete Luther die ehemalige Nonne Katharina von Bora. Luther starb im Jahre 1546 in seiner Heimatstadt Eisleben.
October 31, 1817
Birth of Heinrich Graetz in Xions, Germany. Graetz wrote the first standard work on the history of the Jews. Graetz taught at the seminary in Breslau (now in Poland). The title of his 11 volume history is "Geschichte der Juden von den aeltesten Zeiten bis auf die Gegenwart".