Philipp Hammer

Philipp Hammer, photo around 1895

Caricature on Philipp Hammer's motto "Catholic is trump" , Kladderadatsch , 1895

Grave of Philipp Hammer, Kaulbach

Commemorative inscription on the back of the tombstone.

Philipp Hammer (born February 13, 1837 in Stein , Südpfalz; † June 8, 1901 in Wolfstein ) was a Roman Catholic priest , dean and episcopal clerical council of the Diocese of Speyer , popular preacher, writer and founder of a pilgrimage to Mary in Kaulbach ; Nationally known as a speaker and activist at the German Catholic Days .

Live and act

Philipp Hammer was born as the eldest of seven sons of a farmer in the Wasgaudorf Stein (now Gossersweiler-Stein). He attended the Latin school in Annweiler and the grammar school in Speyer . Then he began his studies in Innsbruck at the Jesuit Convict , the so-called "Nicolaihaus". Here he made friends with the student Felix Korum , later Bishop of Trier.

On August 25, 1861, Bishop Nikolaus von Weis donated him to be ordained a priest in the Speyer Cathedral . Hammer was appointed chaplain of Frankenthal (Palatinate) one day later, but was soon given a leave of absence in order to obtain a doctorate in theology in Innsbruck. From January 6, 1862 Hammer took up the office of the Speyer cathedral chaplain, on August 24, 1863 he went to Zweibrücken in the same position. On February 29, 1864, Philipp Hammer was given the administration of the Wolfstein diaspora parish, and on January 30, 1865 he became pastor in this northern Palatinate town. There were only about 500 Catholics living there, ten times the number of people of different faiths.

Hammer held this ungrateful job for over 35 years, until his death. Because of his combative and decidedly Catholic attitude - at the time branded as "ultramontane" - he was not in good standing with the government. She made sure that he stayed in the ecclesiastically insignificant and remote diaspora area and thwarted transfers and promotions. In 1870 the clergyman received the billeting of a group of Prussian soldiers who were advancing to France - and was promptly denounced as "friend of the French" and "enemy of Prussia". In a subsequent investigation, the allegations turned out to be completely unfounded. In 1879/80, Philipp Hammer tried three times in vain for a canon post in Speyer. An application as provost of the cathedral was also unsuccessful in 1888, despite the support of Cardinal State Secretary Rampolla and Bishop Felix Korum.

The clergyman was politically active and ran several times in the Reichstag elections in the Kusel-Homburg constituency, which was hopeless for the center . He gained national fame particularly through his regular appearances as a speaker at the German Catholic Days. The Augsburger Postzeitung even called him "one of the most characteristic figures of the German Catholic Days" . On the opening evenings he always conveyed greetings from the Palatinate in humorous words . His best-known catchphrase was the slogan “Catholic is trump” , which he coined on September 8, 1881 at the Catholic Day in Bonn. The expression "We'll be there again" or "We'll be there again too" often triggered cheerfulness and became a popular phrase .

In an apt obituary in the Augsburger Postzeitung it was said of the priest: “Hammer was towering and, in later years, a little stooped. His full hair turned white early, but his face retained its youthful freshness to the end. There was something dear, pious, heart-winning in this face that one always liked to see. A strong soul lived in the mighty body .... In his downright stormy zeal, in his keenly developed feeling for truth and justice, in his straightforward way of calling the child by name, he often clinked glasses above and below .. He became persona ingrata in the government and had to stay in Wolfstein. Precisely because of this it has become possible for him to devote his rich spiritual powers to the whole ... "

Philipp Hammer was an original and sought-after preacher. He spoke to his whole personality; Stories, stories and citations from literature spiced up his lectures. He acted similarly as a popular speaker. In this regard, he always campaigned for Catholic associations and it was always attractive when it was said that Hammer was performing at an event. No area of ​​theology, political or social life was alien to him. He also wrote a large number of theological and religious writings.

In his parish branch in Kaulbach, he built the Herz-Mariä-Pilgrimage Church "Maria Hilf" at a prominent place and donated a pilgrimage. He paid for the expenses from royalties on his works. He wanted to create a religious center for the Catholics of the north-west Palatinate diaspora. The chapel, which was consecrated in 1875, includes a house and an open-air area with an altar, Lourdes grotto and stone pulpit for holding church services.

With Bishop Korum, who was often a guest in the Wolfstein rectory and celebrated and preached in Kaulbach, Hammer undertook a trip of several weeks to Rome and Lourdes in October 1893. At Christmas 1900 he was given the title of "Spiritual Councilor".

Shortly before his death, Hammer was promoted to pastor in Venningen . He could no longer take up this position. As a result of a stroke, he died on the evening of June 8, 1901 in Wolfstein. He is buried in front of the pilgrimage church in Kaulbach, where his grave has been preserved. The pilgrimage in Kaulbach, founded and donated by Hammer, is one of the official pilgrimage sites of the Diocese of Speyer.

On the Katholikentag of 1901 in Osnabrück - the first after Hammer's death - the President, Judicial Councilor Karl Trimborn, remembered him in touching words: “Just as the swallow opens the summer, our general assemblies were a festival when Dean Hammer, the swallow from the Pfalz had appeared .... "

Works

(Selection, partly published posthumously)

• The song of the new fashion, whistled in every key. - 1868; Complete scan of the book
• The press, a great power, or a piece of modern simplicity? - 1868
• The gathering that the Holy Spirit, St. Father u. the Catholic bishops will soon have together in Rome - Soest 1869
• Latest Jesuit mirror. - 1869
• Contemporary New Years greeting. - 1869
• Guiding stars for orientation in political questions for Catholics of all classes. - 1870
• The modern German Empire and the Catholics. - 1872
• The Catholic Church and the modern statesmen. - 1874
• Protestantism a. the Catholic faith (Bonifacius brochures 1893, booklet 11 and 12), Paderborn 1893
• Socialism u. the Catholic faith (Bonifacius brochures 1894, booklet 1 and 2). Paderborn 1894
• Seven sermons on man's goal and end and his last things. - 1895
• The Rosary, a treasure trove for preachers and catechists, a book of edification for Catholic Christians. - 1899
• The Christian father in his profession. - 1899
• The Christian mother in her profession. - 1901
• Marian sermons. - 1904
• Sermons on the Sundays of the church year. - 1906
• Sermons for the feasts of the Lord. - 1909
• Altar sacrament and Sacred Heart sermons. - 1913
• Sermons in celebration of the first holy communion. - 1914
• Sermons for All Saints and All Souls. - 1915

literature

• Gunnar Anger:  Philipp Hammer. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 24, Bautz, Nordhausen 2005, ISBN 3-88309-247-9 , Sp. 751-759.
• Joseph Schwind : Dean Dr. Hammer from Wolfstein. Kaiserslautern 1901
• Jakob Bisson : Seven Speyer bishops and their time 1870–1950, contributions to the local church history. Pilger-Verlag Speyer 1956.
• Alfons Hoffmann: Pastor Dr. Philipp Hammer, the people's preacher from Wolfstein 1837-1901. In: AmrhKG 33 (1981) pages 155-174
• Viktor Carl: Lexicon of Palatinate personalities. Hennig Verlag, Edenkoben, 2004, ISBN 3-9804668-5-X , pages 319-320
• Pastor Dr. Philipp Hammer, popular preacher, writer and church builder. (on the 100th anniversary of death), Speyer pilgrim calendar (yearbook of the diocese), 2001

Web links

Commons : Philipp Hammer  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

credentials

1. ↑ Cit. N. G. Anger, Art. Hammer, Philipp, in: BBKL Vol. 24 (2005) Col. 751-759.
2. ↑ Cit. N. G. Anger, Art. Hammer, Philipp, in: BBKL Vol. 24 (2005) Col. 751-759.
3. ↑ Website on the pilgrimage in Kaulbach ( memento of the original from April 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.