Johann Apel (humanist)

Johann Apel , also Johann Apell , Johann Appellus , (* 1486 in Nuremberg ; † April 27, 1536 ibid) was a German lawyer and humanist .

Life

Apel probably comes from a respected family of drapers who had citizenship in Nuremberg. Presumably he started studying at the University of Leipzig or the University of Erfurt . In 1502 he enrolled at the University of Wittenberg and in 1503 acquired a baccalaureate at the artistic faculty. In 1516 he can be found again in Leipzig, where he was Mosellanus ' teacher. In February 1520 he was back in Wittenberg and cultivated friendly relations with Philipp Melanchthon . In the same year he became a doctor, canon and councilor to the Bishop of Würzburg .

Seized by the events of the Reformation and influenced by humanism, he secretly married the canon Johann Fischer. His wife was a noble nun whom he had kidnapped from the St. Marx Monastery and whom he married on June 1, 1523. When this became known, their living quarters were searched and numerous writings were found directed against the emperor and pope. Thereupon they were tried as canons for violating celibacy , accused of adherence to Lutheran doctrine and imprisoned on the Frauenberg. After three months in prison, they were released in August after their benefices were withdrawn and their deportation from Würzburg.

He turns to Wittenberg and, with the support of Martin Luther , receives a professorship at the law faculty of the university in 1524. He took over the lecture in Digesto veteri and also provided the lectures in Decreto and Decretalibus for Justus Jonas the Elder . In the winter semester of 1524 he was elected rector of the university and was present on June 13, 1525 as a witness at Luther's marriage. He was also asked for advice by the Elector Friedrich the Wise and in 1529 appointed as an assessor at the Electoral Saxon court in Wittenberg.

In 1530, Duke Albrecht I of Brandenburg-Ansbach offered him a position as Chancellor in Königsberg . Apel followed this call and stayed there until 1534 as a consultant and advocate for the council in Nuremberg. Later he also became an assessor at the city court.

Act

Apel was associated with humanists in his youth and joined Philipp Melanchthon during his time in Wittenberg. He therefore turned away from the medieval scholastic teaching method "mos italicus" and sought a new legal system. He also dedicated his writings to this endeavor, which had a strong influence on the development of law studies in Germany and which resulted in a division of the legal system into ius into re (dominium) and ius ad rem (obligatio).

Works

• Defensio pro suo conjugio . 1524
• Methodica dialectices ratio ad jurisprudentiam adcommodata Wittenberg . 1527
• Isagoge per dialogum in quatuor libros Institutionum . Nuremberg 1540

A list of his writings can be found in J. Muther's From the University and Scholarly Life in the Age of the Reformation 1866, pages 455-487

Others

It is known about his family that three sons and three daughters died before him. His wife survived him. The copper engraving by an unknown artist by Apel is known in the Dresden Kupferstichkabinett. In addition, H.-D. Diepenbroik that W. P. Kilian could have made another engraving of him.

literature

• Theodor Muther:  Apel, Johann . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1875, p. 501.
• Hermann Lange:  Apel, Johann. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1953, ISBN 3-428-00182-6 , p. 322 ( digitized version ).
• Walter Friedensburg : The history of the University of Wittenberg . Niemeyer, Halle an der Saale 1917.
• Robert Strintzig: History of the German law . Volume I. Oldenbourg, Munich et al. 1880, ( History of the Sciences in Germany. Modern Times 18, 1), online
• Franz Wieacker : Influences of Humanism on Reception. A study on Johannes Apels Dialogus . In: Journal for the entire political science . 100, 1940, pp. 423-456.
• Franz Wieacker: History of private law in modern times . Vandenhoeck u. Ruprecht, Göttingen 1952, ( Jurisprudence in individual presentations 7), pp. 80–83.
• Georg Wolff: Book studies of Franconian history . Section 1: Literature on the history of the sexes, families, individuals (bibliography of biographies) . Issue 1. Schöningh, Würzburg 1937, ( publications of the Society for Franconian History 11, ZDB -ID 504498-4 ).
• Heinz Scheible: Melanchthon's correspondence critical and commented complete edition. People . Volume 11: A - E . Frommann-Holzboog, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt 2003, ISBN 3-7728-2257-6 .