Johann Melchior Zürcher-Deschwanden
Johann Melchior Zürcher-Deschwanden (born January 10, 1821 in Menzingen ZG ; † July 3, 1902 in Zug ) was a Swiss doctor and missionary .
life and work
Johann Melchior Zürcher grew up in Menzingen. He attended Latin school there before completing a philosophy course in Solothurn in the years 1839-1840 . From 1840–1843 he was studying medicine and philosophy in Munich , where he also made the acquaintance of Gottfried Keller . 1843-1845 he continued his medical studies in Zurich . During this time, Johann Melchior Zürcher moved in the vicinity of Ulrich Zehnder, who later became a member of the Zurich government, and tended towards rationalist pantheism .
From 1845 Johann Melchior Zürcher ran a doctor's practice in his home town of Menzingen for 9 years , which he then moved to Zug. In 1847 he took part in the Sonderbund War. In the 1850s he married Anna von Deschwanden from Stans , who was pious and, together with his cousin Franz Joseph Hegglin, moved her husband towards ultra-montane Catholicism . He and his wife had a son and two daughters, all of whom died early. After the death of his wife in 1862, Johann Melchior Zürcher-Deschwanden took up the idea that had arisen in the Piusverein from 1857 to found an association for the development of Catholic pastoral care in Swiss diaspora areas . At the general assembly of the Piusverein, Zürcher-Deschwanden applied for the establishment of the domestic mission .
His motion was supported by Theodosius Florentini , among others , so that Zürcher-Deschwanden's motion against internal Catholic resistance was granted. From 1863 until his death in 1902, building up the domestic mission was at the center of his life. As their managing director, he contributed to the establishment of pastoral care stations in the diaspora. With the help of the domestic mission, priests were paid, churches were built and church charitable projects were supported.
The Catholics in the canton of Zurich , who formed the largest diaspora community in Switzerland and were particularly dependent on the help of the domestic mission until the Catholic Church in the canton of Zurich was recognized by public law in 1963, benefited in particular from the work of Zürcher-Deschwanden .
Martin Müller wrote about the work of Zürcher-Deschwanden and the domestic mission: "Without the strong financial support from this relief organization, the establishment and expansion of church structures in the Zurich Oberland and in the other Swiss diaspora areas would hardly have been possible."
In the canton of Zug , Zürcher-Deschwanden was also called lay bishop because of his influential activities . In Zug, Zürcher-Deschwanden was a member of the Sanitary Council from 1862–1864, the Education Council from 1870–1872 and the Cantonal Council from 1868–1888.
literature
- Roland Brülisauer: The domestic mission 1863-1913. Catholic diaspora aid in Switzerland. Friborg (Switzerland) 1995.
- Renato Morosoli: Zürcher, Johann Melchior. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- Urban Fink: Swiss Catholicism on the move. 150 Years of Domestic Misson. Train 2013.
- Martin Müller: The Catholic parishes in the Zurich Oberland. History of their reconstruction in the 19th and 20th centuries. Edition NZN at TVZ, Zurich 2007.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Renato Morosoli: Zürcher, Johann Melchior. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland . Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ↑ a b Urban Fink: Swiss Catholicism in Motion. 150 Years of Domestic Misson. P. 9.
- ↑ Urban Fink: Swiss Catholicism in Motion. 150 Years of Domestic Misson. P. 12.
- ↑ Martin Müller: The Catholic parishes in the Zurich Oberland. History of their reconstruction in the 19th and 20th centuries. P. 264.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Zürcher-Deschwanden, Johann Melchior |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss doctor and missionary |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 10, 1821 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Menzingen ZG |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 3, 1902 |
| Place of death | Train (city) |