Pallas Spangel

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Title page of Pallas Spangel's printed funeral speech for Electress Margarete, 1501
Pallas Spangel, foreword to "Scripta super quattuor libros Sententiarum", 1490

Pallas Spangel (* approx. 1445 in Neustadt an der Haardt, today Neustadt an der Weinstrasse ; † July 17, 1512 in Heidelberg ) was a Catholic priest, professor of theology and multiple rector of the University of Heidelberg , as well as advisor to the Elector and Elector Palatinate Vice Chancellor.

Live and act

Origin and academic activity

Pallas Spangel was born as the son of the bourgeoisie Werner and Mathilde Spangel in the Palatinate town of Neustadt an der Haardt, where he also attended the Latin school of the Liebfrauenstift . According to an entry in the preserved Seelbuch of the Neustadter Stift, he endowed an annual commemorative mass there for the deceased parents in 1494. Spangel moved from Neustadt to Heidelberg University. Here he matriculated in 1460 and first completed general studies at the artist faculty , which he completed on October 6, 1466 with the degree of Baccalarius (= bachelor's degree ). Then the young scholar rose quickly, became a baccalaureate in theology, examination commissioner (temptator) at the artistic faculty and finally its dean. Spangel received a professorship in theology and was promoted to rector of Heidelberg University in 1477. He held this office three times afterwards and enjoyed a very high reputation among his colleagues. One of Pallas Spangel's main technical concerns was the synthesis of wisdom and eloquence - in modern terms, the concern that teachers not only master their subject, but also understand how to present and convey the material well.

When the newly elected Bishop of Worms Johann III. von Dalberg visited the city ​​of Heidelberg , which belongs to his diocese, in 1483 , Spangel and two other teachers received the order to present the pastor with a present from the university. On the occasion of the centenary of Marsilius von Inghen's work there , Professor Spangel gave a commemorative address to this famous director and organizer of the Heidelberg University in 1486.

In March 1489, the Roman-German King Maximilian I came to the city, and Pallas Spangel was given the honorable task of greeting him with a Latin speech on behalf of the university. It is still preserved and bears the title: "Oratio extemporalis habita ad Maximilianum Romanorum regem".

On the same official assignment, the professor gave the academic funeral speech for Margarete von Bayern , who died on January 25, 1501 , the wife of Elector Philip the Sincere . The address appeared in print in Heidelberg under the title “Funebris oratio magistri Pallantis Spangel Theologiae professoris ad Universitatem Heidelbergensem facta de Illustrissime domine Margarete morte Conthoralis quondam Serenissimi Principis Philippi Comitis palatini Rheni”.

Spangel's greatest and most lasting literary achievement was the first printed edition of the two-volume scholastic work "Scripta super quattuor libros Sententiarum", a commentary by Thomas de Argentina on the 4 volumes of sentences by Petrus Lombardus . The treatise is valued to this day because of its wealth of material, clarity and conciseness and has seen several editions and reprints. Pallas Spangel's first printing from 1490, with its foreword, was reprinted in Frankfurt in 1971.

Friends, students and characteristics

Although firmly rooted in scholasticism , Spangel was a valued friend of numerous humanists , including his former student Jakob Wimpheling (1450–1528), the most well-known representative of Catholic humanism during the Reformation. Together with him he published the sermons of the Dominican Humbert von Romans in print in 1508 . Even Adam Werner von Themar was one Spangels friends and devoted the latter even has its own poem.

The most famous of Spangel's students, however, is Philipp Melanchthon , who lived as a boy in the professor's house from 1509 to 1512, served him as a clerk and kept an honorable memory of his Heidelberg teacher throughout his life; He also praised its good Latin, which he had learned from the well-known Rudolf Agricola . Melanchthon also praised Spangel's general education, his impartial exams, and his improvements in teaching, which were advantageous among the theologians of the time and which contributed not a little to the fame of the Heidelberg University. Moreover, according to Melanchthon, the professor was a very benevolent man, whose friendliness and charity towards the needy was generally recognized; however, he was also distinguished by his business fluency, so that the elector consulted him many times and even gave him the dignity of his vice-chancellor.

From Melanchthon's own statements, however, it is also clear that, despite all his interest in humanism, Spangel by no means took part in the Reformation change of faith, but remained a devout Catholic throughout his life. He was buried in the ambulatory of the Hl.-Geist-Kirche in Heidelberg and his grave inscription stated that Spangel increased the university and the church, gave all his belongings for it and never sought his own benefit; she also characterized him as “skillful and worthy, loyal, pious, just and highly learned”. The original read:

" You Pallas was swallowed and valued - Trew, frum, fair, and highly educated - Aigener use you nye has annoyed - The church and university have heard - Dyn has got vnd ​​well done - They were both wanted - O Lord help That he is valued - and bestowed in moderate value - Din rich that he loves dearly. "

- Quoted from Melchior Adamus "Apographum Monumentorum Heidelbergensium", Heidelberg 1612, p. 14

According to an explanation on his tombstone, Spangel was also a canon at the Heidelberg Hl.-Geist-Stift and custodian , i.e. spiritual guardian of the church.

Works

(Selection)

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Breaking new ground: Remembrance days for Melanchthon and Hebel (pdf; 1.08 MB) Evangelisches Seniorenwerk; with a note on Pallas Spangel
  2. ^ Adolar Zumkeller:  Thomas of Strasbourg (de Argentina). In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 11, Bautz, Herzberg 1996, ISBN 3-88309-064-6 , Sp. 1406-1408.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )
  3. ^ Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz:  Humbert von Romans. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 2, Bautz, Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-032-8 , Sp. 1163-1164.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )
  4. ↑ Source for the publication of the sermon work together with Jakob Wimpheling
  5. ↑ ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: About Melanchton's stay in Spangel's household )@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.navonline.de
  6. ↑ Source for the characterization of Spangel by Melanchthon
  7. ↑ Website with Spangel's epitaph
  8. ↑ Source on the office of canon and custodian at the Heidelberg Hl. Geist Stift
personal data
SURNAME Spangel, Pallas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Spangel, Pallantis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Professor of theology, multiple rector of the University of Heidelberg, Electoral Palatinate Vice Chancellor
DATE OF BIRTH around 1445
PLACE OF BIRTH near Neustadt an der Weinstrasse
DATE OF DEATH July 17, 1512
Place of death Heidelberg