Hermann Josef Roth

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Hermann Josef Ludwig Roth ( pseudonym : Antonius R. ) (born January 2, 1938 in Montabaur ) is a German theologian and scientist, historian of culture and science, didactic specialist and activist in the preservation of monuments, nature and landscape protection. Author abbreviation: HJR

education and profession

Hermann Roth was born in Montabaur as the son of District Administrator Heinrich Roth and his wife Gertrud geb. Ebert. After graduating from high school in 1957 (with a large Latinum, Graecum, Hebraicum), he first lived as a Cistercian monk and studied at the Philosophical-Theological University of Heiligenkreuz near Vienna. After his ordination (Frankfurt 1963) he worked in youth and community work and at the grammar school of Marienstatt Abbey .

Since 1966 he studied biology and chemistry with auxiliary sciences (physics, palaeontology), passed both state examinations for teaching at secondary schools (1970, 1972) and taught at a high school in Cologne. Occasionally, he worked in the pastoral, youth and elderly pastoral care.

In 1991, the district president of Cologne appointed Roth as head of the biology department within the framework of teacher training. Since 1995 he has been director of studies. He received his doctorate in natural sciences from the University of Nijmegen in 1990 .

nature

He was familiar with his native nature at an early age and tried to systematically record geological and biological aspects of the Rhenish low mountain range. He took part in the “Floristic Mapping of Central Europe” project (1971–1988) and analyzed ecological factors in threatened habitats. He also examined the kinetics and functional anatomy of the bird skull.

Roth liked to put scientific findings in their intellectual and social-historical context. B. Evolution in the face of belief-knowledge tension; Ecological theories and ethical postulates against the diversity of perceptions of “nature”; Cancellous architecture and analogies to Gothic architecture .

On the other hand, Roth has tried to popularize scientific knowledge through lectures, excursions and publications. This in turn promoted an understanding of the life and work of research personalities (including Maximilian Prinz zu Wied , Paolo Boccone , Dominik Bilimek , Philipp Wirtgen ).

Roth has been active in nature conservation since he was at school and has exercised significant voluntary functions in associations and committees, e. B. in "Landesgemeinschaft Naturschutz und Umwelt NRW" (LNU, 1982–2000) and German Hiking Association (1998–2005). Since 1975 he has been a permanent member of landscape advisory boards at local and state level (e.g. NRW 1993-98). For a considerable number of natural and cultural monuments, protective or maintenance measures have been suggested or won. His team at the Bergisches Land Biological Station did pioneering work for nature and environmental protection (1985–1996).

Culture

He was identified as the "best expert on the Westerwald"; his interdisciplinary questions stand out. An example of this is his analysis of the floral architectural sculpture of Gothic monuments in Altenberg and Cologne from the perspective of botany and art history.

The encounter with the Cistercian order led to the search for traces of the grave of Otto von Freising (1114–1158) in Morimond (1963). In 1979 Roth founded the international Carthusian colloquia. Most recently he tried to make Alanus ab insulis († 1203) popular again outside of anthroposophy .

Peter Finke states: “... quite a few theologians [...] have also become excellent experts on certain areas of knowledge outside of theology. With Father Roth this is even more complex, because he works in the natural sciences as well as in cultural and humanities. He has become active in many niches of regional and cultural history, but also in landscape and historical science and has discovered factual relationships and wrested them from oblivion that we would otherwise hardly know. [...] But since he cannot be tied to a single discipline, he embodies the living transdisciplinarity: the endeavor to make hidden connections visible by consciously ignoring disciplinary boundaries. "

The interdisciplinary orientation corresponds to Roth's work in the research group for monastery medicine at the University of Würzburg, for which he also researched in Brazil, or the project “Monastic cultural landscape research” initiated by the Center for Garden Art and Landscape Architecture at Leibniz University in Hanover.

He was appointed or elected to numerous committees, e.g. B. Historical Commission for Nassau (since 1978), NRW Foundation for Nature Conservation, Heritage and Culture in Düsseldorf (1994–2000).

Didactics, journalism, bibliophiles

At home and abroad as a speaker, excursion leader and involved in environmental education, Roth formulated appropriate recommendations for the advisory board of the Supreme Landscape Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia (1998). Own teaching experience was incorporated into teaching and learning materials, such as "Ethics in Biology Lessons" (1992), "Earth Sciences and Biology Didactics" (2001) or in the experiment kit for students "Ecology" (1986), as well as in publications for anyone. Pioneering achievements were the "Nature Guide" to the Westerwald (1975, 1980) and the "Cologne Nature Guide" (1990).

As editor, he was responsible for the specialist journals Cistercienser Chronik . Forum for the history, art, literature and spirituality of monasticism ( ISSN  0379-8291 ; Bregenz, since 1973), nature and landscape studies ( ISSN  0722-7795 Arnsberg, Krefeld, since 1995), regional biology (district governments Cologne and Düsseldorf, 1991– 2002) and "Godesberger Heimatblätter" (since 2010).

Roth always saw the museum as an important addition to the school. He played a pioneering role in the founding of the Westerwald Landscape Museum in Hachenburg and was an adviser in the run-up to the establishment of the Bergisches Freilichtmuseum in Lindlar and at the Rheinisches Museumamt.

He stimulated important exhibitions and accompanied them professionally: The Cistercians. Religious life between ideal and reality (Aachen 1980), "Flora of the Cologne Cathedral" (Cologne 1989: Flora / Botanical Garden and Domforum), Maximilian Prince zu Wied. Hunter, researcher, traveler (including in Hachenburg, Bonn, Filderstadt, Cologne, Radebeul, Remscheid, Dortmund, Steinfurt, Frankfurt 1995 ff.), 900 years of Cîteaux - Rhenish Cistercians in the mirror of book art (Landesmuseum Mainz 1998/99) 500 years of Brazil - From the Rhine to Rio (State Representation Rhineland-Palatinate Bonn 2000). He was involved in male gangs - male gangs. On the role of man in a cultural comparison (Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum Cologne 1990) and The Cologne Charterhouse around 1500 (Stadtmuseum Köln 1991).

The family-owned specialist library on regional studies (Nassovica, Rhenania) was expanded by Roth and expanded to include additional subject areas (Monastica, Brasiliensia). Part of the holdings and archival material have now been taken over by the Nature Conservation History Foundation, Historical Archive of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Archives of the Diocese of Limburg, Montabaur City Archive.

Memberships

Engagement in professional organizations, e.g. B. as a founding member of the German Society for the History and Theory of Biology (DGGTB, 1991) and on the board of the Natural History Association of the Rhineland and Westphalia (NHV) as well as in history associations and hiking clubs.

Awards

  • Scholarship from the Nassau Cultural Foundation (1958)
  • Appointment as a corresponding member at the Documentation Center Kannenbäckerland, Höhr-Grenzhausen (1976)
  • Silver badge of honor of the German Lifesaving Society (DLRG, 1977)
  • Albert Steeger grant from the Rhineland Regional Council (1979)
  • Environmental Protection Medal of the German Environmental Foundation (1985)
  • Bruno H. Schubert Prize (1988)
  • Golden Badge of Honor of the Westerwald Association (1989)
  • Rheinlandtaler , Rhineland Regional Association (1998)
  • Prize of the Environmental Foundation of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate (2001)
  • Federal Cross of Merit (2006)
  • Certificate of honor from the Society for Nature Conservation and Ornithology Rhineland-Palatinate (2003)
  • Golden Badge of Honor of the Association of German Mountain and Hiking Clubs (2007)
  • Order of Merit of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (2014)
  • Honorary membership in the Natural History Association of the Rhineland and Westphalia, Bonn (2018)

swell

  • Guide to Cistercian scholarship. 2nd Ed .: Institute of Cistercian Studies, Western Michigan University. Kalamazoo 1985, p. 125 f.
  • Weidert, Werner K. (ed.): Classical sites of paleontology, vol. 1. Korb: Goldschneck, 1988, p. 10. ISBN 3-926129-02-6
  • Feig, Guido, Paula Herzmann & Ursula Wittig: Who was who in Montabaur? Persons and personalities from administration, politics, church, economy and society. Montabaur 1992, pp. 264, 266, 269, 271-278, 297, 324.
  • Kremer, Bruno P., in: Rhein. Heimatpflege 35, 2, 1998, pp. 154–155; ibid. 45, 1, 2008, p. 77
  • Kürschner's German Non-Fiction Calendar 2003/2004. ²München, Leipzig: KG Saur, 2004, p. 626 [references p. 935, 949, 967, 970, 980, 994, 996, 998] ISBN 3-598-24181-X
  • Who's who. Name texts of celebrities from politics, business and culture. (German). Berlin, Vienna 2007, pp. 766–767, 1 fig.
  • Jürgen Eberle: Living and researching for the Bergisches Land. In: Rh.-Berg. Calendar. Jb. Fd Bergische Land 80, 1910, pp. 192-200. ISBN 978-3-87314-444-6
  • European Almanac of Sholars / European Scholars Calendar Ed. 2019. Vienna: IDB, 2019, p. 839 - ISBN 978-3-922236-76-4
  • Eifeljahrbuch 2019. Ed .: Eifelverein. Düren 2018, pp. 18–24: 60 years in the service of the migratory movement - ISBN 978-3-944620-26-8

Publications (selection)

  • Marienstatt Abbey. A guide to architecture and art (= Marienstatter Collected Essays, 2) - 70 p., Fig. In the text u. on plate, Hachenburg 1966
  • The plants in the architectural sculpture of Altenberg Cathedral. A contribution to art history and medieval botany. Vorw .: Prof. Dr. Hansferdinand Linskens. Edited with the support of the NRW Minister of Culture and the Rhineland Regional Council - 156 p., 43 images in the text, 336 images on 58 plates, Bergisch Gladbach 1976
  • The Westerwald. From the Siebengebirge to the Hessian hinterland. Culture and landscape between the Rhine, Lahn and Sieg - 294 p., 142 z. T. col. Ill. On plate, numer. Fig. In the text, Cologne: DuMont 1981; ²1982; 41989 - ISBN 3-7701-1198-2
  • The Bergisches Land. History and culture between the Rhine, Ruhr and Sieg - 224 p., 2 ktn., 16 ills. On plate, Cologne: Bachem, 1982 - ISBN 3-7616-0611-7
  • Siegerland, Westerwald, Lahn and Taunus. Geology, mineralogy and palaeontology with excursions - 176 p., 58 images in the text, 100 color photos, 1 color file, Stuttgart: Franckh, 1983; ²Bindlach: Gondrom, 1993 - ISBN 3-8112-1055-6
  • Ecology. Basic student experiments on ecology and environmental protection - 71 pp., Ill., Bonn: Maey, 1986 - [on this:] student booklet. 56 p., Fig.
  • Hessen - 640 p., 64 ill. On plate, ill. In text, 6 color plate, Munich: Prestel, 1986 - ISBN 3-7913-0770-3
  • Bonn. From the Roman garrison to the federal capital. Art and culture between the Voreifel and the Siebengebirge - 364 p., 114 b / w illustrations, 29 color illustrations, numerous. Fig. In the text - Cologne: DuMont, 1988 - ISBN 3-7701-1970-3
  • Natural history bibliography of the slate mountains on the right bank of the Rhine between Lahn and Sieg. Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate: Siebengebirge, Westerwald, Bergisches Land, Hessian Hinterland (= Planaria III) - 202 p., Overath: BSBL, 1989 - ISSN  0931-3737
  • The sculptural representations of plants from the Middle Ages in Cologne Cathedral. A botanical inventory taking into account foreign architectural sculptures and other art genres (= European university publications, series XXVIII art history. Volume 117) - 196 pages, 30 illustrations, Frankfurt am Main, Bern, New York, Paris: Lang, 1990 - ISBN 3-631 -43225-9
  • Christoph Kloft (eds.) And Hermann Josef Roth: ... and in the middle of it the Westerwald. Stories and fortunes in the center of Europe. Viewpoints between Mainz and Cologne, Rheingau and Siebengebirge. Paulinus Verlag, Trier 2008, ISBN 978-3-7902-1627-1

Editing / editing

  • The Cistercians. Religious life between ideal and reality. Exhibition catalog (= Schriften d. Rhein. Museumsamtes, 10) - 707 p., Num. Fig .; Cologne, Bonn 1980; ed. with Kaspar Elm & Peter Joerißen - ISBN 3-7927-0573-7
  • Our diocese. Events and characters from the history of the Limburg diocese. By Ferdinand Ebert. Foreword: Bishop Franz Kamphaus - 440 p., Ill. In the text, Grevenbroich: Bernardus, 1993 - ISBN 3-910082-07-6
  • Maximilian Prince zu Wied. Hunter, traveler, natural scientist (= Fauna and Flora Rhld.-Pf., Beih. 17) - 357 p., Numerous. SW and Farb-Abb., Ktn., Tab., Landau 1995; with Society for Nature Conservation and Ornithology Rhineland-Palatinate - ISSN  0938-7684
  • Westerwald cultural landscape. Perspectives of an ecological regional development (= POLLICHIA book no. 35) - 126 p., Ill., Facsimilia, Bad Dürkheim 1997; ed. with Herbert A. Eberth & Bruno P. Kremer
  • Maximilian Prinz zu Wied: Journey to Brazil in the years 1815 to 1817, Vol. I a. II. Frankfurt 1820/21 - 404 a. 364 p., Fig., St. Augustin: Gardez !, 2001 - ISBN 3-89796-026-5
  • Ancient and Endangered Breeds of Pets. History, conservation and use in landscape conservation - Arnsberg: LNU, 2003 - 108 p., Numerous. Fig. In the text, color fig. on plate - ISBN 3-00-014975-9
  • Monastery gardens and monastic cultural landscapes. Historical aspects and current questions (= CGL-Studies, 6) - Munich: Meidenbauer, 2009 - 307 pp. - ISBN 978-3-89975-167-3 - ed. with Joachim Wolschke-Bulmahn, Carl-Hans Hauptmeyer, Gesa Schönermark - ISBN 978-3-89975-167-3

AV media / teaching aids

  • The Cistercians. Religious life between ideal and reality - sound-image cassette; 36 color slides, booklet 49 p .; with Chrysostomus Schulz - CALIG-Verlag, Munich 1983
  • SVN ecology. Student experiment system: device u. Chemical set, teacher u. School notebook. Bonn: Prof. Maey, 1986
  • Westerwald. Land between the Rhine, Lahn and Sieg - VHS (50 min.). arbeda-media Wesseling 1989

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Welt am Sonntag No. 13 of March 26, 2008 (NRW)
  2. Rheinischer Merkur 41. Vol. 6 of February 1, 1986, p. 16
  3. Prof. Joseph Ortheil: Leaflet on the 9th Westerwald Culture Days in Wissen an der Sieg (2010)
  4. Bergische Landeszeitung of August 16, 1979 ("Botany is his passion") - new rheinland [Cologne] 5/1977, p. 26 ("Plants as symbols of their time")
  5. ^ Neue Zürcher Zeitung of November 2, 1979; Analecta Cartusiana, 310. Salzburg 2015. ISBN 978-3-902895-66-0
  6. ^ Analecta Cartusiana, 310. Salzburg 2015. ISBN 978-3-902895-66-0
  7. On the lament of nature - De planctu naturae. Alanus ab insulis = Cistercienser-Chronik 117, 2/3, 2010, Bregenz; ISSN  0379-8291
  8. ^ Peter Finke: Citizen Science. The underestimated knowledge of laypeople - Munich: oekom, 2014, pp. 115–116 - ISBN 978-3-86581-466-1
  9. Süddeutsche Zeitung May 31, 2002, p. 58 (58n)
  10. Bonner General-Anzeiger, January 5, 2011
  11. ^ Westerwaldmuseum - history of an idea. In: Heimat-Jb. d. Krs. Altenkirchen 51, 2008, pp. 138–140, 1 fig.
  12. ^ Uli Jungbluth: A museum for the whole of the Westerwald. In: Westerwälder Ztg.Nr. 278, Oct. 7, 2016, p. 23
  13. Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger 30./31. August 1980
  14. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, January 24, 2002
  15. ^ FAZ November 21, 1998,
  16. Bergische Landeszeitung , Rhein-Berg, June 28, 2014, p. 53