Richard Knabl

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Richard Knabl (born October 24, 1789 in Graz , † June 19, 1874 ) was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and epigraphist . Although he had no academic training as a historian, he became one of the most important Styrian researchers of the 19th century on the history of the Roman provinces of Norikum and Pannonia , especially in the area of ​​what was then Styria.

Youth and priesthood

Knabl was a son of Ambros Knabl , Graz mayor from 1784 to 1788. He attended grammar school and lyceum and studied theology in Graz and was ordained a priest in 1811. He spent the following years as a chaplain and pastor in various Styrian parishes . In 1838 he was assigned to the parish of Karlau , in 1852 that of St. Andrä , both located in what was then the Graz suburb.

Epigraphist and Historian

During this time, at the age of 49, Knabl began to occupy himself with epigraphy and numismatics . Inspired by the important collections of Roman artifacts in the Joanneum and Seggau Castle , he carried out his own studies from 1845 onwards, which finally led him to the realization that the archaeological finds near Leibnitz indicated the site of the Roman city of Flavia Solva . In his first historical article, published in 1848, he presented such convincing epigraphic evidence for this theory that it was quickly and widely accepted by the professional world, which Flavia Solva had previously located at the Carinthian Zollfeld .

From this time on, Knabl published significant results of his research almost annually and earned the reputation of one of the most important researchers of his time in the Roman era in the Eastern Alps. Among other things, he worked particularly on Roman road connections . He examined the Roman road that had connected Claudia Celeia (today Celje ) and Poetovio (today Ptuj ), as well as the transalpine "Noric main road" from Virunum to Ovilava (today Wels ), often using epigraphic and numismatic sources with additional sources such as the Tabula Peutingeriana Association. However, his central life's work - a collection of all ancient epigraphic documents of the then Styria (today Styria and parts of Slovenia), which documents approx. 600 inscriptions from 183 sites on 728 pages - remained unpublished. The manuscript is at the University of Graz .

Reception by academic historians

Knabl's meticulous working method, which he demonstrated for more than three decades, always at the cutting edge of science of his time, earned him recognition from the world of research, including well-known historians such as Alfred von Arneth and Theodor Mommsen , which they also publicly confirmed even if Mommsen, for example, was less flattering in his private correspondence.

Awards

In 1861 Knabl was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Graz . In 1962 he received the Austrian Golden Cross of Merit with the Crown , in 1864 the Great Golden Medal for Science and in 1868 the title of Imperial Councilor . He also earned services as a founding member of the Historical Association for Styria . Knabl donated his collections of coins and antiques to the University of Graz in 1867 and 1968 as thanks for his award. After his death in 1874, his 1,456 volume library went to the university.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Knabl R. Where was the "Flavium Solvense" of C. Pliny? Writings of the historical association for Inner Austria, Vol. 1. Graz, 1848
  2. ↑ Knabl R. The real train of the Roman military road from Cilli to Pettau. In: Archive for customer Austrian history sources, ed. Akad.d.Wiss., Vol. 26 / 1-2). Ed. Gerold, Vienna 1861
  3. ↑ Knabl R. The real train of the Roman road from Zollfelde, through the Upper Styrian highlands to Wels. Mitt. HV Steiermark 1870; 18: 114-128
  4. ↑ Knabl R. The Peutinger table compared with the Treibacher and Neumarkt milestones. Mitt. HV Steiermark 1850; 1: 137-140
  5. ^ Wickert L .: Theodor Mommsen. A biography. Vol. III: Years of Wandering. Ed .: Klostermann V., Frankfurt / M. See p. 603
personal data
SURNAME Knabl, Richard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian archaeologist
DATE OF BIRTH October 24, 1789
PLACE OF BIRTH Graz
DATE OF DEATH June 19, 1874