Walter Koch (historian)

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Walter Koch in 2007

Walter Koch (born April 22, 1942 in Vienna ; † December 27, 2019 in Waidhofen an der Ybbs ) was an Austrian historian and diplomat . He was also considered one of the leading German-speaking epigraphers . From 1982 to 2007 he taught as a full professor for historical auxiliary sciences at the University of Munich . Under Koch, Munich also became an important international point of contact for inscription paleographic research.

Live and act

He studied history and classical philology at the University of Vienna . He passed the teaching examination for Latin and Greek in 1965. From 1965 to 1968 he completed the three-year course at the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . From his collaboration from 1968 to 1982 on the edition of the documents of Emperor Friedrich I under Heinrich Appelt , the topic of his doctorate ( The Reich Chancellery in the years 1167 to 1174. A diplomatic-palaeographic investigation ) and his habilitation ( Die Schrift der Reichskanzlei im 12th century (1125–1190). Studies on the diplomacy of the imperial charter ). From 1968 to 1975 he worked full-time in school service (grammar school). From 1975 to 1982 he was a scientific officer at the Institute for Austrian Historical Research. When he was appointed to the chair for historical auxiliary sciences in Munich in 1982, he took over the edition of the documents of Emperor Friedrich II. From 1987 to 1991 he was vice dean and dean of the Philosophical Faculty for History and Art Studies as well as managing director of the history seminar (2001). He retired in 2007. The chair for historical auxiliary sciences was downgraded, human and financial resources for epigraphy were cut and the independent epigraphic research library was transferred to the "Fachbibliothek Historicum".

Koch specialized in the historical auxiliary sciences diplomatics (document science ) and epigraphy (inscription). Along with Horst Enzensberger , Thomas Frenz , Theo Kölzer and Peter Rück, he was one of the few medievalists in Germany with a narrow focus on auxiliary science . Koch published several studies on diplomacy. He also worked on a two-volume monograph on medieval and modern European epigraphy, the first part of which was published in 2007 on the early and high Middle Ages. As a result of the project headed by Koch and based at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences since 1990, Frederick II's documents were published in five volumes in the Monumenta Germaniae Historica (MGH) for the period from 1198 to June 1226 . In this context, numerous new finds of previously unknown documents of the Hohenstaufen ruler could be made.

Koch has received numerous scientific honors and memberships for his research. A commemorative publication with over 800 pages was dedicated to him in 2007. In 1977 he was awarded the Böhlau Verlag Anniversary Prize by the Austrian Academy of Sciences and in 1989 the Apulia Prize by the Society for German-Italian Friendship in Foggia. In 2018 he was awarded the Scientific Staufer Prize for his scientific life's work, especially as editor of the documents of the Staufer Emperor Friedrich II. He was also one of the founding members of the Staufer Foundation established in 1994. In June 2019 he was awarded the Freiherr vom Stein Medal for his services to the MGH. He was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art 1st Class in 2019 . From 1997 to 2010 he was chairman of the Interacademic Commission of the German Inscription Works. He was a member of the Comité International de Paléographie Latine , a corresponding member of the philosophical-historical class abroad of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (from 1985) and a full member of the philosophical-historical class of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (from 1993). He was treasurer from 1983 to 1996, from 1996 to 2001 and from 2010 honorary member of the Commission Internationale de Diplomatique . From 1988 to 1997 he was chairman of the commission for the publication of the inscriptions of the German Middle Ages of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Koch died in December 2019 after a long illness at the age of 77.

Fonts (selection)

Monographs

  • The Reich Chancellery in the years 1167 to 1174. A diplomatic-palaeographic investigation (= memoranda of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Philosophical-Historical Class. Vol. 115 = Publications of the Historical Commission. Vol. 2). Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1973.
  • The font of the Reich Chancellery in the 12th century (1125–1190). Investigations into the diplomacy of the imperial certificate. Memoranda of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Phil.-hist. Class 134 (1979)
  • Literature report on medieval and modern epigraphy (1976–1984) (= Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Aid. Vol. 11). Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Munich 1987, ISBN 3-88612-023-6 .
  • with Franz-Albrecht Bornschlegel, Albert Dietl and Maria Glaser: Literature report on medieval and modern epigraphy (1985–1991). (= Monumenta Germaniae Historica, auxiliaries. Vol. 14). Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Munich 1994, ISBN 3-88612-114-3 .
  • with Maria Glaser and Franz-A. Bornschlegel: Literature report on medieval and modern epigraphy (1992–1997) (= Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Aid. Vol. 19). Hahn, Hannover 2000, ISBN 3-7752-1126-8 .
  • with Franz-Albrecht Bornschlegel: Literature report on medieval and modern epigraphy (1998–2002) (= Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Aid. Vol. 22). Hahn, Hannover 2005, ISBN 3-7752-1129-2 .
  • Inscription palaeography of the Western Middle Ages and the earlier modern period. Early and High Middle Ages. Oldenbourg, Vienna / Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-486-58189-8 Review by Karl Borchardt in ZBLG 72, 2009, S, 177f.

Editorships

  • with Christine Steininger: inscription and material, inscription and book script. Symposium for Medieval and Modern Epigraphy, Ingolstadt 1997 (= treatises. Philosophical-Historical Class of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. New series. Vol. 117). Publishing house of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-7696-0112-2 .
  • Epigraphik 1982. Specialist conference for medieval and modern epigraphy. Klagenfurt, September 30 - October 3, 1982. (= Memoranda of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Abhandlungen. Philosophisch-Historische Klasse. Vol. 169 = Publications of the commission for the publication of the inscriptions of the German Middle Ages. Vol. 1). Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1983.

Editions

  • with the participation of Klaus Höflinger and Joachim Spiegel and using preliminary work by Charlotte Schroth-Köhler: The documents of Friedrich II. (= Monumenta Germaniae Historica Diplomata. Volume 14.1).
    • Part 1: The documents of Frederick II. 1198–1212. Hahn, Hannover 2002, ISBN 3-7752-2001-1 .
    • Part 2: The documents of Frederick II. 1212–1217. Hahn, Hannover 2007, ISBN 978-3-7752-2002-6 (formally incorrect ISBN).
    • Part 3: The documents of Frederick II. 1218–1220. Hahn, Hannover 2010, ISBN 978-3-7752-2003-3 .
    • Part 4: The documents of Frederick II. 1220–1222. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2014, ISBN 978-3-447-10087-8 .
    • Part 5: The documents of Frederick II. 1222–1226. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2017, ISBN 978-3-447-10753-2 .

literature

  • Fritz Fellner , Doris A. Corradini (Ed.): Austrian History in the 20th Century. A biographical-bibliographical lexicon (= publications of the Commission for Modern History of Austria 99). Böhlau, Vienna et al. 2006, ISBN 978-3-205-77476-1 , p. 227.
  • Theo Kölzer , Franz-Albrecht Bornschlegel, Christian Friedl, Georg Vogeler (eds.): De litteris, manuscriptis, inscriptionibus ... Festschrift for the 65th birthday of Walter Koch. Böhlau, Vienna et al. 2006, ISBN 3-205-77615-1 .

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ See the review by Alfred Gawlik in the German Archive for Research into the Middle Ages . 32, 1976, pp. 244-245 ( online )
  2. ^ Franz-Albrecht Bornschlegel: Epigraphy of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Age. In: Archiv für Diplomatik 65 (2019) pp. 237–266, here: p. 241.
  3. ^ Hans-Werner Goetz : Modern Medieval Studies. Status and perspectives of medieval research. Darmstadt 1999, p. 157.
  4. ↑ Walter Koch: Newly found documents from Kaiser Friedrich II. In: Journal for Bavarian State History 60 (1997), pp. 465–477; Walter Koch: Newly discovered documents from Emperor Friedrich II from the third decade of the 13th century. In: Konrad Ackermann, Alois Schmid and Wilhelm Volkert (eds.): Bavaria from the trunk to the state. Festschrift for Andreas Kraus on his 80th birthday. Munich 2002, pp. 67-75.
  5. ↑ Member website of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
  6. ↑ Martina Hartmann: We mourn Prof. Dr. Walter Koch (* April 22, 1942 - † December 27, 2019) Monumenta Germaniae Historica, December 28, 2019.
personal data
SURNAME Koch, Walter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian historian, diplomat and epigraphist
DATE OF BIRTH April 22, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH December 27, 2019
Place of death Waidhofen an der Ybbs