Emil Spiess (clergyman)

Emil Spiess (born September 2, 1895 in Bettwiesen , † October 5, 1985 in St. Gallen ) was a Swiss Roman Catholic clergyman and educator .

Life

Emil Spiess was the son of Emil Spiess, innkeeper, and his wife Anna Maria, geb. Dutli. He took the son of his sister Anna Maria under his wing. His nephew Dr. Willy Spiess was supported and also taught by him.

He attended elementary school in St. Gallen and the Flade , a Catholic secondary school at the local monastery. In 1916 he received his Matura and studied philosophy and theology at the University of Innsbruck from 1916 to 1918 , where he heard lectures from Ludwig von Pastor , the church historian Emil Michael (1852-1917) and the dogma historian Heinrich Bruder. In 1918 he moved to the University of Freiburg until 1921 , where he especially heard the lectures by Gustav Schnürer (1860–1941) and Albert de Munnynck OP. 1921 doctorate he with a thesis on Karl Lamprecht Dr. phil. and in 1926 with a dissertation on the historical philosopher Ernst Troeltsch for Dr. theol. In the meantime he had continued his theological studies with a focus on exegesis with Ernst Bernhard Alio OP and Vinzenz Zapletal OP (1867-1938) as well as Christian archeology with Johann Peter Kirsch and dealt with the fall of the West from Oswald Spengler .

In 1923 he was awarded by the Bishop Georg Schmid of Grüneck his priestly ordination and was from 1925 to 1927 in the Bethlehem Mission Society in Wolhusen teacher of theology, philosophy and history and taught in the last two theology courses the whole church history , including Patristic and history of dogma , further comprising: New Testament Exegesis ( Gospel of John , Pauline letters and Apocalypse ), history of religion (religion and culture of China , ethnology ) as well as theological propaedeutics and encyclopedia of theological sciences. While organizing the library there, he was also a librarian , he discovered a volume of manuscripts that contained the visions of Elisabeth von Schönau and Mechthild von Magdeburg ; as Codex Wolhusiensis, he presented the manuscript of science in A witness to medieval mysticism in Switzerland .

In 1928 he became head of the entire philosophy and theology studies in the Cistercian Abbey of Himmerod and from 1928 to 1930 curate chaplain in Bürglen near Lungern , until he went to St. Gallen in 1930 as vicar in the parish of St. Maria Neudorf , where he remained until 1934 and at the same time was a teacher of philosophy and history at the theological studies of the Fathers of La Salette in St. Gallen and employee of Eastern Switzerland for cultural issues.

From 1934 to 1946 he was a teacher of theology, philosophy, history and German literature at the Schwyz College , in 1946 professor of theology at the Mariannhill Missionaries Studies in Brig and, in 1951, pastor and beggar preacher in the Bäretswil diaspora ; During this time he actively participated in the construction of the Brother Klaus church , but in 1952 the floor of the chapel extension collapsed due to water pressure and the damage devoured all funds and savings.

From 1956 to 1959 he again held the teaching post for theology, philosophy and history in Brig and Hauterive . In 1959 he had the benefit of the Schwytzer from the Buonas Chapel Foundation Meggen (Chapel Maria auf der Blatten) and was a scholarship holder of the National Fund for Research on Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler.

From 1962 to 1977 he was vicar in Mörschwil , remained active in the time thereafter, preached from the pulpit and got involved in local club life.

Act

With Father Maximilian Roesle (1908–1985) von Einsiedeln and Chanoine Rageth von Saint-Maurice , Emil Spiess advocated the founding of philosophical societies in Switzerland . B. the Philosophical Society of Central Switzerland .

Between 1940 and 1950, he worked intensively on the discussion of border issues between philosophy and the natural sciences, in particular the theory of evolution and the biblical accounts of creation, and initiated conferences and colloquia on this topic.

He has written numerous publications on questions of religion and philosophy of history. His main work is his biography of Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler from 1967.

Honors

In 1976 Emil Spiess was made an honorary citizen of Mörschwil.

Fonts (selection)

• Karl Lamprecht's philosophy of history . Diss. Phil. Friborg, Switzerland. Junge & Sohn, Erlangen 1921.
• Ernst Troeltsch's theory of religion . Diss., Theol. Friborg, Switzerland. F. Schöningh, Paderborn 1926.
• The metaphysical and cultural-philosophical theories of Oswald Spengler's view of history . In: Divus Thomas: Yearbook for Philosophy and Speculative Theology, Volume 36, 1922.
• A witness of medieval mysticism in Switzerland . Basel 1935.
• The basic questions of the philosophy of history . Publishing bookstore Maria Hilf, Schwyz 1937.
• World and home portrayed in the course of time . Benziger, Einsiedeln 1939–1940
• The cultures of prehistoric times and the Mediterranean . Benziger, Einsiedeln 1940.
• Agatho Locher, Gottlieb Scherer, Emil Spiess: Propaedeutic logic, general metaphysics, theodicy . Lucerne 1943.
• The becoming of the federal state and its development in modern Europe . Benziger, Einsiedeln, Zurich, Cologne 1962.
• Ignaz Paul Vital Troxler. The philosopher and pioneer of the Swiss federal state, portrayed according to his writings and the testimonies of contemporaries . Francke, Bern, Munich 1967.
• The correspondence between Landammann Gallus Jakob Baumgartner , St. Gallen, and Mayor Johann Jakob Hess , Zurich (1831-1839). A political time image of regeneration . St. Gallen 1972.
• Mörschwil between Lake Constance and St. Gallen. A village in the flow of the time 760-1900 . Mörschwil 1976.
• Eggertsriet: Political community . Eggertsriet 1978.
• The world in the village: Contributions to the history of the community of Zuzwil, 754-1978 . Zuzwil SG 1979.

literature

• Victor Conzemius : Emil Spiess (1895–1985) . In: Journal for Swiss Church History , vol. 80 (1986), pp. 199–203 ( digitized version ).

Web links

• Victor Conzemius: Spiess, Emil. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .