Friedrich Georg Pape

Autograph by Friedrich Georg Pape

Friedrich Georg Pape (born July 3, 1763 in Bracht, today Fehrenbracht , municipality of Finnentrop , † May 11, 1816 in Trier ) was initially a member of the Premonstratensian Order and was later one of the German Jacobins of the Mainz Republic .

Origin and education

Pape was a son of the farmer Hermann Theodor Pape and his wife Anna Sofia, née Hoffe, called Schulte, from Schliprüthen . Since 1780 he attended the Laurentianum grammar school in Arnsberg . Pape studied law and theology at the Bonn Academy in 1783 and 1784 . In 1784 he returned to the Wedinghausen Monastery as a conventual. Released from most of the usual monastic duties, he became a teacher at the Laurentianum. During further studies in Bonn a few years later, around 1789, Pape came into contact with the rationalistic theology of Eulogius Schneider . On August 14, 1790 he received his doctorate under Andreas Spitz . Back in Wedinghausen, the theological views he presented met with rejection, particularly from Abbot Franz Joseph Fischer . In the Oelinghausen monastery, which belongs to Wedinghausen , he caused some of the choir women there to complain about the alleged authoritarian behavior of the provost there and to request a visit to the convent. Pape laid down his rationalist views in 1791 in the text: Pragmatic History of the Christian and especially the German Church . The work appeared anonymously: “By a German priest.” Possibly in this context Pape's cell, his desk and various punitive measures were searched.

Supporters of the revolution

Pape left the monastery and went to Strasbourg , where a circle of rationalist theologians had formed. For a few months he served as vicar in Sélestat, then for a short time in the same capacity in Strasbourg. On the recommendation of Anton Joseph Dorsch from Mainz and Bishop Arbogast Martin, Pape received a position as professor (“vicaire directeur”) at the seminary in Colmar in 1792 . During this time he wrote the first volume of a partly heavily criticized, partly well received church history.

As the revolutionary school lacked pupils, Pape had to give up the position and became pastor of Wihr-au-Val . The establishment of a Jacobin Club initiated by him led to tensions in the community and Pape was then pastor of Riedwihr for a short time .

On November 8, 1792, he went to the French-occupied German territory as a representative of the Haut Rhin department to promote the ideals of the revolution. As such he came to Mainz. There, on November 20, 1792, Pape joined the local Society of Friends of Freedom and Equality, the Mainz Jacobin Club .

Meeting of the Mainz Jacobin Club in the former electoral palace. Pape presented his theses on the relationship between the French constitution and the Catholic Church there on November 25, 1792

At times he was president of the club. Pape also made a name for himself as a public speaker and was also active as a journalist as the publisher of the Mainzer Nationalzeitung. He spoke out against the previous form of religion and against the princes. However, in his writing: Unification of the New Franconian Constitution with Catholicism (Mainz, 1792) he tried to prove that the republic and Catholicism would not be mutually exclusive. He also tried to get reluctant residents of Mainz behind the Jacobins by threats. In an open letter to "Friedrich Wilhelm Hohenzollern, dermal king in Prussia" on December 20, he attacked this sharply and signed with "Your and all kings enemy". He also attacked the Landgrave of Hessen-Kassel in a letter for selling soldiers during the American Revolution . This radical and provocative approach aroused criticism from the leadership of the republic because they feared military action.

In a list compiled by Karl August von Hardenberg for the Prussian government, a list of all the writings that have appeared for French freedom since the capture of Mainz , also includes Papes' writings. The Cabinet Ministry's reply said: “Perhaps, since some of the authors are named, the register can be used in the reconquest of the city. It would be particularly desirable that Pape could be seized, since the title of the text listed under No. 24 with his name already suggests the abomination of its content. If it were possible to get them, we would like to see you send them to us so that they could be used against him if the villain was arrested. ”The government in Berlin issued orders against the dissemination of Pape's writing in order to prevent the spread in Prussia but also in other territories.

During the advance of the imperial troops on the left bank of the Rhine, Pape was captured with other members of the Mainz Jacobin Club and brought to the Königstein Fortress . On the way there he was mistreated several times with the participation of Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom Stein . Later, under unexplained circumstances, Pape managed to escape from the fortress.

Judge and lawyer

As a capitain adjoint , he joined the French Army of the Rhine. Between 1793 and July 1798 he stayed as captain and commissioner of the conseil de guerre in Auxonne , where he married in 1794. In July 1798, Pape was appointed President of the Marne Department of Criminal Justice without being able to take up this post. On August 27, 1798 he was appointed President of the Civil Court of the Département de la Sarre in Trier and on November 4, 1798 as President of the Criminal Court of the Département de la Roer , based in Cologne . In April 1800 he was deposed. The immediate cause was the allegation that he had not punished a child murderer with the full severity of the law. Behind this, however, there were probably also conflicts within the Cologne judiciary.

He then sent the French government commissioner information and assessments about leading judges and holders of public offices in the Rhenish departments. This was connected with references to the problems that had arisen in the course of the reorganization of the administration in the areas on the left bank of the Rhine. Pape also counted the accumulation of office and waste. In particular, he criticized the political clubs in Mainz, Koblenz, Cologne and Aachen.

After his release, he first went to Paris . Later Pape became a lawyer in Trier.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Sometimes he is also called Georg Friedrich Pape in the literature, but Friedrich Georg is entered in the baptismal register in Schliprüthen
2. ↑ According to the entry in the church register Schliprüthen, some older sources name 1776 and the place of birth Arnsberg, others speak of 1772 in Bracht
3. ^ Helmut Richtering: Oelinghausen Monastery. In: Magdalena Padberg (Ed.): Oelinghausen Monastery. Arnsberg 1986 p. 61
4. ↑ In literature there is disagreement about his first names: Anton Johann (ADB zu Pape), Andreas Josepf (Wikipedia "Felix Anton Blau"), Anton-Joseph (Wikipedia "Dorsch")
5. ↑ Seibertz, p. 60.
6. ↑ Joseph Hansen: Sources for the history of the Rhineland in the age of the French Revolution 1780 1804. Publication of the Society for Rhenish History, Vol. 42, Vol. 2, p. 746, quoted in. to green

Fonts

• Andreas Spitz / Friedrich Georg Pape: De archidiaconatibus in Germania ac Ecclesia Coloniensi, speciatim de archidiaconatu maiore Bonnensi , Diss.Bonn 1790
• An open hearted letter to Friedrich Wilhelm Hohenzollern, dermal king of Prussia , Mainz 1792
• Pragmatic History of the Christian and especially the German Church , Volume 1, Frankfurt undated
• Unification of the New Franconian Constitution with Catholicism, presented on Nov. 25, 1792 to the Assembly d. Friends f. Freedom u. Equality in the large former court shop in Mainz , Mainz 1792

literature

• Karl Georg Bockenheimer :  Pape, Georg Friedrich . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 25, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1887, p. 136 f.
• Karl Feaux de Lacroix: History of Arnsberg , Arnsberg 1895 (reprint Werl, 1983) p. 497
• Wolf-Dieter Grün: Your and all kings enemy ..., The exciting life of Friedrich Georg Pape from Fehrenbracht , in: To Bigge, Lenne and Fretter, local history contributions from the community of Finnentrop 1996, No. 3, pages 7-15
• Johann Suibert Seibertz: Westphalian contributions to German history . Vol. 2 Arnsberg, 1823 pp. 57-59