Johann Ludwig Schönleben

Johann Ludwig Schönleben, around 1681

Johann Ludwig Schönleben (born November 16, 1618 in Laibach ; † October 15, 1681 ibid) Jesuit , cathedral dean and Protonotarius Apostolicus in Laibach, most recently pastor and archdeacon in Reiffnitz in Lower Carniola (Ribnica in Slovenian), Valvasor's teacher, role model and mentor . He was considered a brilliant speaker and preacher ; He published several of his sermons in German and Latin, but he delivered the sermons in Slovenian.

Live and act

Schönleben was the son of a respected citizen in Laibach, who was mayor and governor from 1648–1654. However, the family on the father's side seems to come from Württemberg, where a Kaspar Schönleben is said to have lived as a citizen in Heilbronn in 1530. Schönleben entered the Jesuit order, which he left in 1654 and preferred to remain a secular priest . He studied theology and obtained a doctorate in theology in Padua. But his interests were also in history and genealogy. At that time Schönleben was one of the few who edited the history of Krain according to old and new sources, even if not always critically enough. It is also thanks to him that, at his request and suggestion, book printing, which was abolished in the course of the Counter Reformation , was reintroduced in Laibach. The Krainer estates managed to win over the printer Johann Baptist Mayer. In 1678, Mayer and his workforce moved from Salzburg to Laibach. The first printed work to appear on November 25, 1678, was an “ Elogium ” (praise) to the Mother of God.

A contemporary reported about Schönleben's outward appearance as follows: “He was of mediocre stature, a gracefully open-hearted sight, brunette of hair, agreeable and funny about conversation, moderate in food and drink, and respectable in the elevator, enjoyed himself in his lonely house (because he seldom used to go out) with Welisch hens (fighting cocks like the English) and a Budel dog called Solidon, which he was particularly fond of because of many arts. "

Schönleben died on October 15, 1681 in Laibach. He was buried in the Jesuit Church of St. Jacob in the crypt in front of the steps of the altar of the dying Christ. The Jesuits inherited his books, and the land of Carniola inherited his manuscripts and writings.

Works and writings

Major works

Schönleben wrote about 40 books. His main work - planned in two volumes - was " Carniola antiqua et nova ". However, only the first volume was printed in 1681. The events of the Ukrainian history from the birth of Christ to the year 1000 are recorded there. The second volume, which was to cover the period from 1000 to 1600, remained unfinished. The Carniolan estates supported this work with generous donations of money. In the period from 1668 to 1675 Schönleben received 1,548 guilders. More money should flow in - initially 250 guilders a year for four years. The estates were also willing to buy 150 copies at a preferential price and also financially consider the proofreader.

Because of his theological treatises on the Immaculate Conception of Mary, he became a member of the Academia Gelatorum in Bologna . Schönleben also left behind extensive, but unpublished genealogies of aristocratic families in the former Duchy of Carniola , which were written in Latin and used by Valvasor for his work “ Die Ehre des Hertzogthums Crain ” (Slava Vojvodine Kranjske). (Location: Arhiv Republike Slovenije (Archives of the Republic of Slovenia) SLO-1127 Ljubljana, Zvezdarska 1)

Other works

Annus sanctus Habsburgo-Austriacus, sive sancti et BB. utriusque sexus Habsburgo-Austriacis sanguine et cognatione conjuncti, quingenti per totius anni dies distributi

• Genealogia illustrissimae familiae DD Comitum ab Attimis, Labaci 1681, fol (ium).
• Aemona vindicata, sive Labaco metropoli Carniolae vetus Aemone nomen jure assertum, Salisburgi (Salzburg) 1674, 80
• Dissertatio polemica de prima origine augustissimae domus Habsburgo-Austriacae. Labaci 1680, fol.
• Genealogia illustrissimae familiae SRJ Comitum et Dominorum de Gallenberg, Labaci (Laibach, Ljubljana) 1680, fol.
• Rosa Ursina in provinciis austriacis florens, sive illustrissimae et antiquissimae familiae Romanae Ursinae Genealogia, Labaci 1680, fol.
• Genealogia illustrissimae familiae Principum, Comitum et Baronum ab Auersperg, Labaci 1681, fol.
• Arboretum Austriacum sive plena genealogia Augustae Domus Habsburgo-Austriacae from anno Christi 600 ad nostra tempora cum 300 et ultra symbolis, aeri incidendis. fol. (Manuscript)
• Chronologia Austriaca, sive rerum a Comitibus Habsburgicis et Archiducibus Austriae gestarum succincta per annorum seriem enarratio. fol. (Manuscript)
• Annus sanctus Habsburgo-Austriacus, sive sancti et BB. utriusque sexus Habsburgo-Austriacis sanguine et cognatione conjuncti, quingenti per totius anni dies distributi. fol. (Manuscript)
• Evangelia inu lystuvi (Gospels and Leaves), Graz 1672.
• Chronicle of the city of Ljubljana until 1685. Octave. (Manuscript, ÖNB)
• Marchiones Austriae antiqui. (Manuscript, ÖNB)
• Appendix ad annales et chronologiam Carnioliae a. 1674. Quart (manuscript, ÖNB)

literature

• Peter von Radics : The Carniolan historiographer Johann Ludwig Schönleben . In: Announcements of the Musealverein für Krain . 7 (1894), pp. 1–72 (with portrait) dLib.si (PDF)
• A. Breznik: Literarna tradicija v "Evangelijih in listih" (Literary tradition in the "Gospels and Leaves"), Dom in Svet (Home and World) 1917.
• M. Smolik: Pridigar, mariolog in zgodovinar JL Sch. (Preacher, Mariologist and historian JL Sch.), In: Bogoslovni vesnik (Theological Journal) 1981.
• Tita Kovač: Spomini barona Valvasorja (Memories of Baron Valvasor), Ljubljana 1973, 8th Doctor Schönleben, pp. 160–170.
• Leksikoni Cankarjeve založbe - Slovenska kjiževnost (Lexica of the Cankar Verlag - Slovenian literature), Ljubljana 1982, p. 311.
• August Dimitz : History of Krain, 4 volumes, Laibach (Ljubljana) 1874–76.

Web links

Commons : Janez Ludvik Schönleben  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files