Alois Thomas

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Alois Thomas (born January 18, 1896 in Klotten on the Moselle , † April 20, 1993 in Trier ) was a German Roman Catholic clergyman , theologian and archivist .

Life

Grave of Alois Thomas in Klotten. The presentation "Christ in the winepress" was the subject of his dissertation.

Alois Thomas studied theology and philosophy in Innsbruck and Freiburg im Breisgau . In 1931 he was with the work "The theology of the mystical wine image" at Joseph Sauer in Freiburg to Dr. theol. PhD. At the Pontificia Accademia Romana di Archeologia in Rome he completed a degree in Christian art history . He took part in the First World War as a medic .

After his ordination in 1920 he was initially active in pastoral care . However, since he was not given a long life expectancy due to health problems, they looked for another job: on April 15, 1936 he was appointed archivist at the Episcopal Vicariate Trier and on August 4, 1936, finally, the first diocesan archivist of the Diocese of Trier . He built up a comprehensive archive from various holdings, including the archive of the cathedral chapter and files of the Episcopal Vicariate General since the rewrite of the Diocese of Trier in 1821. He saved the archives in a bunker near Trier Cathedral from destruction in World War II . Thomas also saved the Torah scrolls from the Jewish community in Trier from destruction by the National Socialists, hid them in the diocese archive and handed them over to the re-established community after the war. He retired on February 23, 1987, and was succeeded by Martin Persch .

After the Second World War he was initially a lecturer at the Trier seminary , and from autumn 1950 at the Trier theological faculty . On June 1, 1952 , he completed his habilitation with the work “Maria der Acker und die Weinrebe in the symbolic conception of the Middle Ages” . On September 1, 1957, he was appointed associate professor for Christian art and church monument preservation.

As early as 1952 Thomas had taken over the office of diocese curator in the diocese of Trier and as such was often involved in the restoration of war-damaged churches and the expansion of churches that had become too small, but was also called in as an (art) expert for new building plans and the purchase of new church furnishings. His successor was Franz Ronig in 1966 .

Honors

In 1963 he was appointed Knight of the Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulcher by Cardinal Grand Master Eugène Tisserant and invested in Cologne Cathedral on December 7, 1964 by Lorenz Cardinal Jaeger , Grand Prior of the Order. In 1976 he was appointed commander of the order and was its prior of the Trier commandery. He was honored with the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany . He was appointed papal house prelate .

Fonts

  • The archetype of the Gregorius Mass. 1933.
  • The theology of the mystical wine press image. L. Schwann, Düsseldorf 1935.
  • The representation of Christ in the wine press. A theological and cultural-historical study. At the same time a contribution to the history and folklore of viticulture. L. Schwann, Düsseldorf 1936; unchanged reprint 1981.
  • Peter Alois Gratz. A leader of the reform movement under Bishop Hommer von Trier. 1947.
  • From holy Trier. 1950.
  • Mary the field and the grapevine in the symbolic representation of the Middle Ages. 1952.
  • The artist of the Segensis epitaph in Trier-Liebfrauen. 1962.
  • The Christian reform efforts in the Diocese of Trier under Bishop Josef von Hommer. Bachem 1971.
  • Josef von Hommer : Meditationes in vitam meam peractam. An autobiography. Ed., Translated and commented by Alois Thomas. Society for Middle Rhine Church History, Mainz 1976.
  • The illuminated graduals of the 15th and 16th centuries in the Trier diocese archive. 1980.
  • Church under the swastika. Memories and documents. Paulinus-Verlag, Trier 1992, ISBN 3-7902-0091-3 .

literature

  • Festschrift for Alois Thomas. Archaeological, church and art history contributions. Performed by friends and acquaintances on January 18, 1966 at the age of 70. Diocese archive Trier, Trier 1967.
  • Corona Amicorum. Alois Thomas presented by colleagues, friends and students at the age of 90. Trier 1986.
  • Martin Persch : Prelate Prof. Dr. Alois Thomas in memory. In: Archive for Middle Rhine Church History. 45: 559 (1993).
  • Obituary by Heinz Schwarz in Der Archivar , vol. 47 (1994), p. 387 ff.
  • Martin Persch (Author) and Alfons Friderichs (Eds.): Thomas, Prof. Dr. theol. Peter Alois , In: “Personalities of the Cochem-Zell District” , Kliomedia, Trier 2004, ISBN 3-89890-084-3 , p. 352 f.
  • Martin Persch (author): Thomas, Alois, art historian and archivist , In: Heinz Monz (Ed.): Trier biographical lexicon , Trier Wissenschaftlicher Verlag 2000, ISBN 3-88476-400-4 , p. 465.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Archive portal for the southwest. Trier diocese archive, accessed on July 20, 2013.
personal data
SURNAME Thomas, Alois
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Roman Catholic clergyman, theologian and archivist
DATE OF BIRTH January 18, 1896
PLACE OF BIRTH Clothes
DATE OF DEATH April 20, 1993
Place of death trier