August Reatz

August Reatz (born February 24, 1889 in Mainz , † November 7, 1967 there ) was a German theologian , philosopher , cleric and university professor . As the first elected rector of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz , he played a major role in the re-establishment and academic consolidation of this newly established university.

Life

August Reatz was born on February 24, 1889 in Mainz as the son of the businessman Franz Conrad Reatz and Margarethe Reatz. Tailor born. He attended the Grand Ducal Easter High School in Mainz from 1898 to 1907. After successfully passing the Abitur exam, he first studied in the summer semester of 1907 at the Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg im Breisgau , where he also worked for the Catholic student association KDSt.V. Hohenstaufen Freiburg became active in the CV , then from the winter semester 1907/08 to 1911 at the philosophical-theological college of the Mainz seminary . On July 22, 1911, he received by the Bishop of Mainz Georg Heinrich Maria Kirstein the priesthood . Until 1914 he worked as a chaplain in the Mainz apprentice house.

From the summer semester of 1914 to 1916 he went on to study theology at the University of Bonn , whereupon in July 1917 he was a student of Professor Carl Braig with the dissertation "Reform attempts in the Catholic dogmatics of Germany at the beginning of the 19th century" from the theological faculty of the University of Freiburg was promoted to Doctor theologiae . On March 7, 1919, he completed his habilitation with his doctoral supervisor in the theological discipline dogmatics with the study The theological system of consultations Zachaei et Apollonii. Taking into account the alleged relationship with J. Firmicus Maternus .

On October 15, 1920, he was appointed professor at the Philosophical-Theological University of the Mainz seminary to initially hold the historical professorship for the history of dogma, patrology and historical theology and then also to represent the professorship for dogmatics. At the beginning of the winter semester of 1945 he was elected dean of the university mentioned. When the idea of ​​re-establishing a university in Mainz was discussed in the wake of the fall of the Nazi regime and the takeover of government by the Allied occupying powers, August Reatz not only supported this idea and also pushed these plans within the philosophical-theological university of Mainz seminary, but also gave these plans political emphasis with his report for the French military government in Baden-Baden .

When the University of Mainz opened on May 22, 1946, he was appointed the first dean of the Catholic theological faculty at Johannes Gutenberg University. On May 10, 1947, in recognition of his services, he was appointed papal house prelate and on May 22 of the same year he received an honorary doctorate from the philosophical faculty of the newly founded University of Mainz. After Josef Schmid, appointed by the French military government under General Raymond Schmittlein as the first rector, was prematurely dismissed from the rector's office due to an affair about the legitimacy of his position as professor, August Reatz became the new rector magnificus on October 13, 1947 , unlike his predecessor, not appointed, but elected by the university's senate. He held this position until 1949 and worked for the following two years until 1951 as Vice-Rector of the university. He held the professorship for dogmatics until his retirement in 1957.

Significance for the re-establishment of the University of Mainz

In 1945, shortly before the end of the Second World War , Reatz first thought about the reorganization of the philosophical-theological university of the Mainz seminary, which he was head of as dean at the time. At the beginning of the summer semester of 1945, at the first meeting of the plenary meeting of the university mentioned, he addressed the possibility of re-establishing the old Mainz university. At the end of July and beginning of August 1945, the first discussions about a re-establishment of the university took place in the close circle of August Reatz's house. According to the Mayor of Mainz, Emil Kraus , Reatz was the "driving force in those first weeks". In doing so, however, he not only stood with local political figures such as the mayor of Mainz and his head of culture, Michel Oppenheim , but also with leading French dignitaries such as the Mainz city commandant Louis Théodore Kleinmann and the district delegate for Rheinhessen Lefèvre and Jacobsen. The seven-page "Memorandum on the Re-establishment of the University of Mainz", written by Reatz, was translated into French together with two other memoranda by the authors Napp-Zinn and Klingelschmitt and sent to the French military government in Baden-Baden. Jürgen Siggemann doubts the general meaning of such memoranda. However, in his report, Reatz lists well-founded historical and political reasons that, in addition to the importance of the city of Mainz, also work out the cultural, geographical and existing academic characteristics as being particularly suitable for a "start-up". He particularly refers to the existing Catholic theological college of the Mainz seminary and the excellent equipment of the city hospital, which is predestined for the establishment of a medical faculty. In the course of these efforts, Reatz also seems to have convinced the future rector of the university in the French occupation zone, the geographer Josef Schmid , who sought contact with Reatz in this matter, for the Mainz location. In the early days of the university, Reatz became Schmid's closest advisers. Bishop Stohr appointed Reatz dean of the new Catholic theological faculty.

In the eyes of the public, August Reatz was one of the most important leaders at Johannes Gutenberg University. This was documented with his speech on the occasion of the university's one year anniversary. The high point and turning point of his career in university politics was his election as rector of the university after Schmid's rectorate was terminated under French pressure. In his first rectorate speech he made the goals of the university clear: He opposed the glorification of his own people and the degradation of other peoples. Addressing the newly enrolled students, Reatz said that the fate of Europe was in their hands.

The Reatz rectorate was responsible for the expansion of dental teaching and the opening of the physics institute.

In addition to Bishop Albert Stohr, August Reatz also promoted the establishment of Catholic student associations at the University of Mainz. It should be mentioned here that in addition to Stohr and Reatz, the Minister of Education, Adolf Süsterhenn, was also a member of a CV association that campaigned on a personal level for the allied ban on student associations to be lifted. In this context, in addition to Stohr and Süsterhenn, August Reatz also became a band philistine for the CV connection VKDSt Hasso-Rhenania Mainz, which was founded in 1946 .

Memberships

• KDSt.V. Hohenstaufen Freiburg
• VKDSt Hasso-Rhenania Mainz

Publications

• Attempts at reform in Catholic dogmatics in Germany at the beginning of the 19th century. Dissertation . Freiburg 1917.
• The theological system of consultations Zachaei et Apollonii. Taking into account the alleged relationship with J. Firmicus Maternus. (= Free Tax Tax 25). Freiburg 1920.
• Jesus Christ, his teaching and his work. Freiburg 1924 (English translation 1933).

literature

• Sigrid Duchhardt-Bösken : August Reatz. In: Biographisches-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon. Volume 7, Bautz, Sp. 1434f.
• August Schuchert (Ed.): Festschrift for Professor Dr. Dr. August Reatz. Yearbook for the Diocese of Mainz 1949. Volume 4, Mainz 1949.
• Jürgen Siggemann: August Reatz (1889–1976). Catholic theologian and first elected rector. In: Michael Kißener, Helmut Mathy (ed.): Ut omnes unum sint (part 1). Founding personalities of the Johannes Gutenberg University. (= Contributions to the history of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. 2). Stuttgart 2005, pp. 81-95.
• Helmut Mathy : The first state university in Rhineland-Palatinate. Studies and essays on their phase of creation. (= Publications of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. 8). Mainz 1997.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Short biography at http://gutenberg-biographics.ub.uni-mainz.de