Franz Sales Wocheler

Franz Sales Wocheler monument on Münsterplatz in Ueberlingen on Lake Constance

Franz Sales Wocheler , actually Joseph Franz Sales Wocheler (born May 31, 1778 in Ballrechte ; † May 8, 1848 in Überlingen ), was a pastor, bibliophile and founder of the Leopold-Sophien-Bibliothek in Überlingen.

Life

Franz Sales Wocheler attended the "German School in Ballrechte and Wettelbrunn" and entered the Benedictine high school in Villingen at the age of twelve . In 1797 he entered the Benedictine monastery of St. Georgen in Villingen and was ordained a priest in 1802. On October 26, 1809, in a petition to Constance, he informed his vicar general and regional president: "Having acquired the satisfaction and love of his teachers through good morals and untiring industry." He then taught Latin and history at the Benedictine high school in Villingen. Early on he was enthusiastic about the renewal efforts of Ignaz Heinrich von Wessenberg, with whom he later became friends. Due to an eye ailment, he gave up teaching and after secularization became a diocesan priest, first in Kappel near Freiburg in 1810, then in Tiengen near Waldshut from 1811 to 1820 and finally as dean and pastor in Überlingen.

From Wessenberg, himself a passionate book collector, he received books as gifts. The collection experienced further substantial growth through donations and bequests from other contemporary scholars from the region such as Johann Georg Benedikt Kefer and from patrician families from Überlingen such as the Waibel family. In addition, important collections could be purchased, such as the holdings from the estate of Josef Willibald Straßer. Wessenberg mainly collected progressive literature. Wocheler's collection also included old holdings, due to his interests and his reference as Benedictines, not least because of the dissolution of the monasteries. The written by him on May 15, 1832 foundation charter speaks of passing 10,000 volumes which he as he writes as victims offer ... () .. and indulge those friends only pain I gather around me 33 years have endeavored . Wocheler primarily pursued educational purposes with the foundation of his collection. By making the collection public, the prerequisites for the school education of children, but also of adults in Überlingen and beyond, should be improved. The collection was initially not welcome because there was no accommodation in sight, only when he wanted to withdraw the foundation did the city fathers find accommodation for the books in the former Franciscan monastery.

After the Second World War it was named Franz-Sales-Wocheler-Weg in honor of a short street. On the memorial erected in 1878 is his motto "Always be cheerful!"

literature

• Joseph Beck: Freiherr Ignaz Heinrich von Wessenberg. His life and work. At the same time a contribution to the history of modern times. Based on handwritten notes from Wessenberg. Wagner, Freiburg im Breisgau 1862 (2nd edition 1874).
• F. Kössing: Franz Sales Wocheler , in: Friedrich von Weech (Ed.): Badische Biographien , 2nd part. Heidelberg 1875, p. 517 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Hermann Schmid, Franz Sales Wocheler, former pastor of Überlingen. Biographical notes , in: Freiburger Diözesan-Archiv 97, 1977, pp. 565–568 ( digitized version ).
• Gerhard Römer: Books, donors, libraries - book culture between Neckar and Lake Constance , Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-17-013025-0 , p. 189ff.
• Ursula Pfeiffer: "Education as a political issue". Franz Sales Wocheler and the educational historical interpretation of his work. Lecture on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the Leopold-Sophien-Bibliothek in Überlingen in 2007 , in: Badische Heimat   88, 2008, pp. 298–307, and in: Writings of the Association for the History of Lake Constance and its Surroundings , 127, 2009 , Pp. 139-150.
• Michael Raub: From the Baar to Lake Constance: Franz Sales Wocheler - A monk from Villingen, pastor and educational reformer in Überlingen , in: Writings of the Association for History and Natural History of Baar Vol. 59, 2016, pp. 29-44.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Gerhard Römer: Books, Donors, Libraries - Book Culture Between Neckar and Lake Constance , 1998, p. 190.
2. ^ Eugen Schnering: Überlingen - city history in street names . 2nd unchanged edition. Verlag der Gesellschaft der Kunstfreunde Überlingen eV, Überlingen 1998, p. 38 .