Anton Vögtle

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Anton Vögtle (born December 17, 1910 in Vilsingen ; † March 17, 1996 in Freiburg im Breisgau ) was a German Catholic theologian . He is regarded as a nationally and internationally recognized exegete , scientist and pioneer of historical-critical biblical interpretation in the field of Catholic theology as well as one of the leading Catholic New Testament scholars of the 20th century.

Life

Anton Vögtle was born on December 17, 1910 as the fourth child of the married couple Severin and Mina Vögtle in Vilsingen. After attending primary school in Vilsingen from 1917 to 1923, he switched to the humanistic grammar school in Sigmaringen. During this time he lived in the Archbishop's High School Convict St. Fidelishaus .

After graduating from high school in 1930, he studied philosophy and Catholic theology at the University of Freiburg . In the summer semester of 1930 he joined the Catholic student association WkSt.V. Unitas-Eckhardia. He received his doctorate in 1935 at the age of 24 with the thesis "The virtue and vice catalogs in the New Testament: exegetical, religious and formal-historical research" with Alfred Wikenhauser .

He was ordained a priest in Freiburg on March 22, 1936. In 1936 he was employed as a vicar in Heitersheim and Mannheim. Study visits to Bonn and Berlin followed in 1939. During the Second World War he was a war pastor from 1940 to 1945 : first as a hospital pastor, then in the war against the Soviet Union as a division pastor in the 25th Division . There he held services, buried the dead, and accompanied people in cruel times. One picture shows him reading the mass at an altar with a swastika flag as an altar cloth. Regarding Vögtle's role in the dictatorship, Freiburg Auxiliary Bishop Paul Wehrle , who was a student at Vögtle, said: "Vögtle was of course not a Nazi, he saw his role as a pastor also in the armed forces." However, after 1945 Vögtle never explicitly distanced himself from National Socialism .

After the war he was parish administrator in Schlatt im Breisgau from 1947 . He completed his habilitation in Freiburg in 1949 with a thesis on The Son of Man: An attempt to interpret Christological revelation and taught as a lecturer. In 1950 he attended a special course in Rome at the Pontifical Biblical Institute .

In 1951 he was appointed to a chair for New Testament at the Trier Theological Faculty (SS 1951), and in the 1951/52 winter semester he took over the chair for New Testament theology and exegesis at the Catholic theological faculty of the University of Freiburg, which he held until 1978 . 1958/59 he was rector of the University of Freiburg.

Anton Vögtle had built a house with relatives in Vilsingen. The professor was not too happy to lend a hand and help with the construction. On the first floor he had his apartment, which he lived regularly when he “came home” until his death. There was a study in his apartment. Vögtle sat there, smoking a cigars or a pipe and working on his publications. He was an “uncomplicated and warm person who talked to every farmer and every child” and “often wanted to talk to his relatives about his publications, but hardly anyone could really understand them”. In the village he was affectionately known as “Vögtle Done” or reverently the “Professor”.

In 1965 he turned down the call to Bonn. In 1966 he received the title of Papal House Prelate , and in 1967 the title of Papal Consultor.

From 1972 he was a member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and from 1973 to 1985 chairman of the Catholic Biblical Works eV (KBW). As the first German Catholic New Testament scholar, he was accepted into the international interdenominational Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas in 1973. He was a speaker at numerous conferences during his lifetime.

In 1979 he retired. Even in old age, Vögtle often got into his car early on Sundays and drove to Freiburg to hold a church service there. Anton Vögtle died on March 17th, 1996 in Freiburg and was buried on March 22nd in the cemetery in Vilsingen.

Vögtle had an older brother, who was also a priest and high Catholic dignitary, the Freiburg canon and prelate Josef Vögtle (born December 4, 1889 in Vilsingen, † December 1, 1953 in Freiburg im Breisgau).

plant

Anton Vögtle is considered one of the leading Catholic New Testament scholars of the 20th century. Catholic biblical studies after World War II would have been inconceivable without the work of Anton Vögtle. He played a decisive role in the establishment of historical-critical exegesis in Catholic theology. His main focus was research on form history ; He published important works on the Gospel according to Matthew , the understanding of Easter, the letter to the Hebrews and apocalyptic . In 1994 his commentary on the letter of Jude and the 2nd letter of Peter appeared . He belonged to the group of translators of the New Testament in the standard translation . His students include Dieter Zeller and Lorenz Oberlinner .

Vögtle has dedicated his whole life to the goal of opening up the word of God as a revelation for people. He approached the texts using the historical-critical method in order to find out how the individual texts came into being in early Christianity, with what aim and for whom they were written. Vögtle's request was to crystallize the real words of Christ and to look at the Gospel critically in the context of the time it was written. This scientific method of exegesis is important in the Christian faith because faith has a historical character through the birth of Christ. Numerous scientific works and books in the field of New Testament exegesis testify to his work. He was also in contact with the Protestant theologian Rudolf Bultmann (1884–1976), who was a pioneer on the Protestant side for modern, scientific interpretation of the Bible.

Honor

Memorial cross with the Storzenstein in the background

In 1973 he was appointed Chapter Chapter of Honor . His then independent hometown of Vilsingen honored him on March 18, 1973 for his achievements by being made an honorary citizen. In 1981 he received the Dome of Honor Award .

On the occasion of Anton Vögtle's 100th birthday, a solemn service was celebrated on December 17, 2010 in the Vilsingen parish church of St. Johannes and Paulus by Freiburg's auxiliary bishop Paul Wehrle , and an exhibition was opened in the Vilsingen parish barn in a subsequent ceremony.

He was always committed to his origins. When he came to Vilsingen, his first step was always with his dog, a collie , in the fields. At his favorite place in the direction of Dietfurt , the Storzenstein , the Vögtle Cross was inaugurated on Ascension Day 2011 , a memorial donated by Hans and Emilie Stroppel and made by Josef Bauer.

literature

bibliography

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g memory of honorary citizens . In: Südkurier from December 1, 2010
  2. ↑ a b c d e Hermann-Peter Steinmüller (hps): Anton Vögtle will not be forgotten . In: Südkurier from December 20, 2010
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h Vera Romeu (from right): Commemoration: Many guests honor Vögtle. Auxiliary Bishop Paul Wehrle pays tribute to the person and work of the Vilsinger theologian . In: Schwäbische Zeitung from December 20, 2010
  4. ↑ a b c d e memory of honorary citizens. The training . In: Südkurier from December 1, 2010
  5. ↑ Wolfgang Burr (ed.): Unitas manual . tape 5 . Verlag Franz Schmitt, Siegburg 2005, ISBN 3-87710-502-5 , p. 273 .
  6. ↑ a b c d Jennifer Kuhlmann (jek): 100th birthday of Anton Vögtle. The professor smokes in the study . In: Schwäbische Zeitung from December 4, 2010
  7. ↑ suedkurier.de: Vögtle monument is inaugurated , May 28, 2011, accessed on January 27, 2012
predecessor Office successor
Gerd Tellenbach Rector of the University of Freiburg
1958 - 1959 		Kurt Walter Merz
personal data
SURNAME Vögtle, Anton
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Catholic theologian
DATE OF BIRTH December 17, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH Vilsingen
DATE OF DEATH March 17, 1996
Place of death Freiburg in Breisgau