Josef Kahn

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Josef Kahn, Bishop of Gurk (1887–1910)
Filialkirche Hl Andreas, Döllach - coat of arms of Josef Kahn
Bishop Kahn's grave

Josef Kahn (born April 11, 1839 in Döllach im Mölltal, † February 15, 1915 in Tanzenberg ) was an Austrian clergyman and bishop of Gurk (Austria).

Life

Josef Kahn was born in 1839 as the son of deeply religious farmers in Mölltal. An older brother also became a priest and pastor in his hometown. The mother died early and Josef was raised by his grandmother. He attended secondary school in Klagenfurt and earned the bare minimum by playing ministries and putting on skittles. He then attended the Benedictine high school in St. Paul in Lavanttal for a year. As a pupil of the Graz boys' seminary from 1853 to 1860, he attended the first state high school in Graz and then entered the Graz seminary . On 19 July 1863 he was the Seckauer Bishop Ottokar Maria von Attems in Graz Cathedral for priests ordained . In 1864 he became a chaplain in Weiz and a year later worked as prefect of studies at the seminary. In 1871 he obtained a doctorate in theology in Graz and from then on worked as a religion teacher. 1882 Bishop appointed him Johann Baptist Zwerger to rain the Graz minor seminary. Zwerger appointed him Real Konsistorialrat, and in 1883 he was given the canonical at Graz Cathedral by the Emperor .

On February 10, 1887, Emperor Franz Joseph I appointed Josef Kahn Bishop of Gurk. On March 19 (his name day) he received the episcopal ordination from the Archbishop of Salzburg , Franz Albert Eder . Co-consecrators were the Seckau prince-bishop Johann Baptist Zwerger and the Salzburg auxiliary bishop Johannes Evangelist Haller . On March 27, 1887, he was enthroned in Klagenfurt Cathedral .

The popular bishop encountered the anti-clerical and liberal tendencies of the second half of the 19th century, which were particularly pronounced in Carinthia. a. with the foundation of a publishing house, several Catholic daily newspapers and a book club. To counteract the shortage of priests, he promoted the establishment of the Marianum boys' seminary. In addition, during his episcopate he favored the establishment of numerous institutions and religious orders, u. a. the Olivetaner in Tanzenberg Castle.

In 1901 a dispute broke out between the bishop and the city of Klagenfurt, the reason being the inauguration of the new Klagenfurt central cemetery in Annabichl, which the city wanted to be an interdenominational burial place. The bishop refused initiation for five years. Liberal circles wanted to force the bishop to abdicate. In 1906 the bishop had an accident when the horses in his carriage shied away from him, and from then on he suffered from poor memory, minor strokes and deterioration in eyesight. In addition, the bishop was economically ruined by the bankruptcy of the paper mill in Pöckstein, which he personally owned. In addition to his poor health, Kahn's business investments with financial irregularities may also have contributed to his abdication.

At the request of the Carinthian provincial government, the Archbishop of Salzburg came to Klagenfurt twice to persuade the bishop to abdicate. On October 24, 1910, Pope Pius X gave him the choice of either resigning or being removed from office. On October 28, the bishop finally abdicated and withdrew completely penniless to the Olivetan monastery in Tanzenberg .

Another stroke in 1913 paralyzed Kahn on one side, and in 1915 he suffered another stroke. His second successor Adam Hefter , enthroned the day before in Klagenfurt, came to Tanzenberg to give him the final unction. Former Bishop Kahn died on February 15, 1915. He was buried in the monastery crypt below the Tanzenberg Abbey.

literature

  • Johann Unterluggauer: Bishop "Deo Gratias". Kahn's life and work. Carinthia, Klagenfurt 1952.
  • Boat Josef. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 3, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1965, p. 175.
  • Jakob Obersteiner: The bishops of Gurk. 1824–1979 (= From Research and Art. 22, ISSN  0067-0642 ). Publishing house of the History Association for Carinthia, Klagenfurt 1980.
  • Alexander Appenroth: Bishop Kahn and the apostolate of the printed word. On the history of the German-speaking Catholic press in Carinthia; St. Josef Association, Carinthia printing and publishing house, St. Josef Book Brotherhood. Carinthia, Klagenfurt 1991, ISBN 3-85378-362-7 .

Web links

Commons : Josef Kahn  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Kahn, Josef
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian clergyman and bishop of Gurk (1887–1910)
DATE OF BIRTH April 11, 1839
PLACE OF BIRTH Döllach (community Großkirchheim) in Mölltal
DATE OF DEATH February 15, 1915
Place of death Tanzenberg Castle