Alexander Schnütgen

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Alexander Schnütgen , 1910, painting by Leopold von Kalckreuth

Johann Wilhelm Alexander Schnütgen (born February 22, 1843 in Steele / Ruhr , † November 24, 1918 in Listernohl ) was a German Catholic theologian , priest and important art collector .

Life

Schnütgen was born in Steele (now Essen-Steele) in 1843. After graduating from the Royal High School at Burgplatz in Essen , he began studying Catholic theology in 1860, which took him to the Academy in Münster , the University of Tübingen and the University of Leuven, as well as the seminaries of Mainz and Cologne . On 7 April 1866 he received in Cologne Minoritenkirche the priesthood and was a week later the vicar and parish chaplain at the Cologne Cathedral appointed. On April 18, 1887, the Prussian government appointed him canon in Cologne. In 1903 he became honorary professor in the Catholic Theological Faculty at the University of Bonn .

He had numerous churches built in what is now the area of ​​the city of Attendorn , including in Listernohl (1903), Lichtringhausen (1909/10), Listerscheid (1913) and Ennest (1915).

On October 26, 1910, Schnütgen became an honorary citizen of Cologne . He is also an honorary citizen of the city of Attendorn .

In November 1918, Alexander died in Schnütgen Listernohl that the damming of the Biggesee is lost. The town of Neu-Listernohl that emerged above the valley belongs to the town of Attendorn .

Art collector

Schnütgen's interest in art was awakened when the young cathedral vicar found valuable but neglected works of art in a dusty sacristy during a confirmation visit with Auxiliary Bishop Johann Anton Friedrich Baudri . In the following time, with the support of Auxiliary Bishop Baudri, he examined many church granaries and sacristies throughout the Archbishopric of Cologne. In this way he saved a great many works of art from decay. He bought a lot from the antique trade or even at the front door . Alexander Schnütgen's collection arose from the need to save art objects from a time when they were considered old-fashioned or worthless. His motto was "colligite fragmenta, ne pereant" (collect the leftover pieces so that they do not perish) . After he initially wanted to donate his art collection of around 6,500 pieces to the Archdiocese of Cologne on the condition that the Archdiocese build its own museum building for them, but this was rejected by Cardinal Fischer , he bequeathed his art collection to the City of Cologne in 1906. Today the Schnütgen Museum manages more than 11,000 works.

Schnütgen has been a member of the board of directors of the Cologne Diocesan Museum since 1875 .

Schnütgen founded the magazine for Christian art in April 1888 , of which he was editor until 1913.

1891-1896 and 1900-1906 he was President of the Christian Art Association for the Archdiocese of Cologne.

For the art history exhibition in the Kunstpalast Düsseldorf in 1904, Domkapitular Schnütgen was deputy chairman, and Paul Clemen , the board of directors, was chairman.

The University of Münster and the Catholic University of Leuven awarded him an honorary doctorate for his services to the preservation of art .

Fonts (selection)

  • Cologne memories . Cologne, Bachem, 1919

literature

Web links

Commons : Alexander Schnütgen  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Chronicle of the parish of Lichtringhausen. Retrieved on May 16, 2020 (German).
  2. ^ Gospel of John, chap. 6, verse 12 (Vulgate)
  3. ↑ International Art Exhibition, Art History Exhibition, Great Horticultural Exhibition, 1904, Bagel, Düsseldorf, 1905, p. 72, (digitized version)
personal data
SURNAME Schnütgen, Alexander
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German theologian, priest and art collector
DATE OF BIRTH February 22, 1843
PLACE OF BIRTH Steele / Ruhr
DATE OF DEATH November 24, 1918
Place of death Listernohl