Johann Theodor Benjamin Helfrecht
Johann Theodor Benjamin Helfrecht (born March 7, 1753 in Hof ; † August 24, 1819 in Höchstädt ) was a teacher at the Hof high school and author of many works on local history research.
Life
Helfrecht was on March 7 in 1753 as son of Thomas Erdmann (also Rector) and Mary Margaret, the daughter of the official bailiff Hoenicka in Schauenstein born. After basic training by his father, he attended the sixth grade of the Hof high school and also received five years of private tuition from superintendent Seidel. Because of his industriousness and morality, he took him into his house as an intern . After 4½ years of outstanding performance, he delivered his thesis De supplicatione in diem dominicam XVII. post trinitatis per terras in Franco-Brandenburgicas edicta (From the day of prayer arranged for the 17th Sunday after Trinity in all Brandenburg - Franconian areas) and went to Erlangen , where he received a scholarship . After three years he moved to the University of Leipzig , where he also studied theology . After completing his studies, he took up the position of tutor in the Eastern Orphanage in Hof. After the death of his father, he wanted to take over his position as German schoolmaster , but at the behest of the then mayor Barnickel, he switched to the grammar school, where he accepted the position of Quartus , the fourth teacher , on April 18, 1781 and was engaged on April 23 . After the death of the organist at the time, Scheunenstuhl, his duties were also transferred to him. On October 13, 1791, he finally took over the tertiary , the position of the third teacher . After the death of the then Konrektor Kapp, Helfrecht got his position on October 9th, 1793 and was engaged on October 18th.
When Rector Kirsch moved away from Hof, Helfrecht was hired as Rector on November 23, 1795. His predecessors were Paul Daniel Longolius and Georg Wilhelm Kirsch .
Because of his merits in research, he was accepted as an honorary member of the Natural Research and Mineralogical Society in Jena in 1797 and in 1804 he received his Magister Philosophiae . In 1808 he took over the pastor's position in Höchstädt in the Superintendentur Wunsiedel , where he died on August 24, 1819.
Work and merit
Rescue of the library of the Hofer Gymnasium (Gymnasium Albertinum)
In 1795, Helfrecht saved the historical school library of the Albertinum grammar school, today the Jean-Paul-Gymnasium Hof , which until then had been located in the walls of the Hof monastery church , from demolition by bringing all of the works into his own apartment. There he cleaned and cataloged the books, which he finally stored in dry rooms. At that time the small council library still existed in the city , which on this occasion united Helfrecht with the stock of the school library.
Merits in local research
Helfrecht is considered to be the author of 42 publications, the subject of which includes both local history and philosophy. For his publication ruins, antiquities and still standing castles on and on the Fichtelgebirge , Helfrecht made floor plans and view drawings of the ruins and castles in the Fichtelgebirge at the end of the 18th century, some of which depict the earliest views. To which he examined castles are the castles of Berneck , Epprechtstein Castle , the lost castle Rudolfstein , Burg Thierstein and the Waldsteinburg . His contemporary Johann Christoph Stierlein was working on these castle ruins at the same time and produced the first topographical castle maps. Both pioneers served later researchers, such as Karl Dietel , as authors of fundamental treatises. The first description of the Alexander von Humboldt Cave came from him .
Investigation of the "Red Castle"
In 1795 Helfrecht's work ruins, antiquities ... appeared , in which he also referred to the Waldsteinburg on the Großer Waldstein . He referred to the defense structure as the "Red Castle" and attributed this to the red roof shingles that can still be found today on the summit of the Waldstein. He assumed that these tiles belonged to the original roof of the castle, which was destroyed in the Franconian War in 1523. However, they were only attached to the former gatehouse of the fortifications, in which a guard was housed , for almost 200 years in the course of the War of the Spanish Succession . The castle is known to the residents of the Fichtelgebirge to this day as the Red Castle, which illustrates the importance of Helfrecht's work.
Works
- Ruins, antiquities and still standing castles on and on the Fichtel Mountains. One try. Hof 1795. ( online )
- Attempt of an orographical-mineralogical description of the provincial administration Hof, or the combined mining authority Lichtenberg-Lauenstein . 1797. ( online )
- Tycho Brahe, portrayed from his life, opinions and writings. A brief biographical attempt. Hof 1798 ( online ).
- The Fichtelgebirge described after many journeys on the same . Court 1799.
- Brief instructions on German poetry for the first beginner . Courtyard 1804.
- Johann Theodor Benjamin Helfrecht: '' Shakal, the beautiful spirit. A contemporary pasquill on Jean Paul '', '' 'Fundstücke' '' 28th ed. Dorothea Böck. Wehrhahn Verlag, Hannover 2013, ISBN 978-3-86525-312-5 .
literature
- Karl Dietel : The Great Waldstein in the Fichtel Mountains. Nature, the present, history . In: The Fichtel Mountains - Volume 1 . Fichtelgebirgsverein Hof 1987.
- Karl Dietel: The Great Waldstein in the Fichtel Mountains . In: Between Waldstein and Döbraberg - Volume 7 , Saalfrank, Helmbrechts 1968.
- Steffen Schwarz: The newer fortress on the Waldstein - a treatise on castle history , 2001
- Johann Nikolaus Prückner : Syncronistics and curriculum vitae of the teachers at the Hofer Gymnasium from 1502 to 1817 . Nordostoberfränkischer Verein für Natur-, Geschichts- und Landeskunde eV ISBN 3-928626-33-7 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.burgeninventar.de/html/bay/WUNS_big.html ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Web links
- History of the Hof Council Library
- Homepage of the market in Zell with an excerpt from Helfrecht's work "The Fichtel Mountains described after many trips on the same"
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Helfrecht, Johann Theodor Benjamin |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German teacher and local researcher |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 7, 1753 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hof (Saale) |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 24, 1819 |
| Place of death | Höchstädt in the Fichtel Mountains |