Franz Johann Joseph Bock (1823–1899) was a German
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
,
archaeologist, and
art historian.
[Conant, p. 770 '' a German theologian and archaeologist, bom at Burtscheid in 1823. He was educated at Bonn, became chaplain at Crefeld in 1850, then founded in 1852 the first large exhibition of ancient masterpieces of Christian art, and established a manufactory of silks after the models of the middle ages, for use in churches, and model schools for instruction in the manufacture of church vessels. ''][Volume XXII (2003) Columns 128-135 "Franz Johann Joseph Bock"](_blank)
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Early life
Bock was born in the town of Burtscheid
Burtscheid ( la, Porcetum) is a district of the city of Aachen, part of the Aachen-Mitte Stadtbezirk. It is a health resort.
History
It was inhabited since ancient times by Celts and Romans, who were attracted by the presence of hot springs.
...
on March 5, 1823.[Francis Bock - Curator of the Diocesan Museum](_blank)
/ref> He was the son of Franz Joseph Bock Burtscheider (baptized February 22, 1796), who was a lifeguard. His mother, Agnes Dotru, died when Bock was a young child. He was the only child of this marriage and was raised at first by his grandmother and later by his father. His father had a simple education and didn't earn much, however still was able to send him to the seminary of Kaiser-Karls-Gymnasium and later to study theology at the University of Bonn
The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine ...
(1846–49). In 1850 he became a chaplain at the Krefeld
Krefeld ( , ; li, Krieëvel ), also spelled Crefeld until 1925 (though the spelling was still being used in British papers throughout the Second World War), is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, i ...
parish church of St. Dionysius and was there until April 1853.
Career
Bock founded in 1852 the first large exhibition of ancient masterpieces of Christian art. In that year he curated a national exhibition on 100 medieval vestment
Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially by Eastern Churches, Catholics (of all rites), Anglicans, and Lutherans. Many other groups also make use of liturgical garments; this ...
s and precious gold items from the Rhenish church treasures when they were first presented to the public. He established a factory of silk production with special designs based on models from Middle Ages patterns. These silks then were used in church items and church related vestments. Bock took a two-year art history tour study period between 1855 and 1857 to collect from different countries throughout Europe ideas and materials. Much of this information eventually ended up in his two volume writing ''Geschichte der liturgischen Gewänder des Mittelalters''. He published many other works relative to Christian art and antiquities. In 1872 he published an important work on the church treasures in Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
, the Netherlands, along with Michaël Willemsen, guardian of the Treasury of the Basilica of Saint Servatius
The Treasury of the Basilica of Saint Servatius is a museum of religious art and artifacts inside the Basilica of Saint Servatius in Maastricht, Netherlands.
History
The church treasure, treasure of the church of Saint Servatius was put together ...
. Bock spent a further eight years in preparing his principal work ''Die Kleinodien des heiligen Römischen Reichs deutscher Nation nebst den Kroninsignien Böhmens, Ungarns und der Lombardei''.
Bock was one of the founders of the archdiocesan art museum Kolumba
The Kolumba (previously Diözesanmuseum, "Diocesan Museum") is an art museum in Cologne, Germany. It is located on the site of the former St. Kolumba, Cologne, St. Kolumba church, and run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne, Archdiocese ...
(a.k.a. "Diözesanmuseum") at Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
. In 1853 he made many art and textile purchases for the museum when he traveled around France. He became the founder of a new branch of classical studies when he introduced his work ''The History of the liturgical vestments of the Middle Ages'' (1859–71), which was the first scientific study of the origin and development of ecclesiastical robes with regard to fabric, color, design, editing and ritual significance. When Bock had the opportunity to sell textile fragments to various interested parties (i.e. museums) he would just cut it off from some precious medieval textile he found. His radical treatment of original medieval material earned him the nickname "Scissor Bock." For example, when Bock found the Cloth of St Gereon
The Cloth of St Gereon is a mural tapestry of a repeat pattern with a decorative motif of a bull being attacked by a griffin, a fantastic creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.Thomson, p. 52 "There is a tendency to a ...
at the old Saint Gereon church he just cut it into four fragments and sold them to museums in Berlin, Lyon and London around 1863 to 1875. These cloth fragments are considered to be of the oldest Western tapestry still in existence.[Anzovin, p. 175 ''The first European tapestry still extant is the Cloth of St. Gereon, originally created for the Church of St. Gereon in Cologne, Germany. It is a seven-color wool tapestry depicting medallions with fighting bulls and gryphons. Most scholars date the work to circa 1000, based on its decorative ornaments, which resemble those in illuminated books of the time.''][Thurstan, p. 11 ''What is known as the "St. Gereon" tapestry is the oldest surviving piece of Western European tapestry.''][The History of Tapestry](_blank)
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Bock was a pastor at Cologne from about 1857. From 1854-1875 he was an Executive Board Member of Arts Christian Society for the Archdiocese of Cologne. He was also appointed honorary canon of Aachen Cathedral in 1862. Bock maintained close relationships with like-minded connoisseurs and patrons such as the Cologne Archbishop Johannes von Geissel
Johannes von Geissel (5 February 1796 – 8 September 1864) was a German Catholic Archbishop of Cologne and Cardinal from the Electorate of the Palatinate.
Life
Gessel was born in Gimmeldingen in the Electorate of the Palatinate.
After co ...
, the Bishop of Munster Johann Georg Müller, Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern
, image = Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern by Nicola Perscheid.jpg
, image_size = 250px
, caption =
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Sigmaringen, Province of Hohenzollern, Prussia
, death_date =
, death_place = Namedy, Weimar Republic
, ...
and to families of the Rhenish and Westphalian nobility and local artisans such as the sculptor Friedrich Wilhelm Mengelberg
Friedrich Wilhelm Mengelberg (1837–1919) was a German-Dutch sculptor, architect of church interiors, and art collector.BWN, pp. 389–391 His work promoted the Gothic Revival architectural-style in churches throughout Germany and the Netherl ...
.
Death
Bock died in Aachen April 30, 1899. The city of Aachen made Bock an honorary grave in the Campo Santo Teutonico
The Teutonic Cemetery ( it, Cimitero Teutonico, "Camposanto of the Teutons and the Flemish") is a burial site adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Burial is reserved for members of the Confraternity of Our Lady of the German Cemetery ...
in Rome, where a bronze plaque commemorates him.
Works
* '' History of the liturgical vestments of the Middle Ages'' (2 vols., Bonn, 1859).
* '' The jewels of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation gene together with the regalia Bohemia, Hungary and Lombardy'' with 58 chromo-lithographic plates (Vienna, 1864).
* ''History of liturgical garments of the Middle Ages.'' (3 volumes, Bonn 1859-71)
* ''Die Goldschmiedekunst auf der Höhe ihrer technischen und ästhetischen Ausbildung, plastisch nachgewiesen in einer Sammlung von Originalabgüssen der hervorragendsten kirchlichen Gefäße und Geräthschaften vom 10.-16. Jahrhundert'', with a descriptive text and a foreword by Francis Bock, Cologne 1855
* ''Baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin (from it, baldacchino), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over hi ...
-Altäre aus St. Stephan in Wien und aus der Teinkirche zu Prag; oder: wie ist es mit dem Neubaue von Altären zu halten?'', In: ''Organ für christliche Kunst'', 7 (1857), Nr. 21, 241–243 u. Nr. 22, 255–258;
* ''Das heilige Köln. Beschreibung der mittelalterlichen Kunstschätze in seinen Kirchen und Sakristeien aus dem Bereich der Goldschmiedekunst und der Paramentik'', Leipzig 1858;
* ''Das carolingische Münster zu Aachen und die St. Godehards Kirche zu Hildesheim in ihrer beabsichtigten inneren Wiederherstellung. Praktische Beiträge zur Lösung der Frage: Welche Grundsätze sind bei der inneren Ausstattung und Einrichtung älterer romanischer Kirchen massgebend'', Bonn 1859;
* ''Die Musterzeichner des Mittelalters. Anleitende Studienblätter für Gewerbe- und Webeschulen, für Ornamentzeichner, Paramenten-, Teppich- und Tapetenfabrikanten nach alten Originalstoffen eigener Sammlung'', 8 Versions, Leipzig 1859–61;
* ''Der Reliquienschatz des Liebfrauen-Münsters zu Aachen in seinen kunstreichen Behältern: zum Andenken an die Heiligthumsfahrt von 1860'', Descr. and explained with many woodcuts. Bock of Fr., published by the author, Aachen 1860th XXXIV, 88 p.
* ''Geschichte der liturgischen Gewänder der Mittelalters, oder Entstehung und Entwicklung der kirchlichen Ornate und Paramente mit Rücksicht auf Stoff, Gewebe, Farbe, Zeichnung, Schnitt und rituelle Bedeutung'', 120 illustrations in color printing, explained Dr. Franz von Bock, 3 vols, Bonn, 1859, 1867, 1871;
* ''Die deutschen Reichskleinodien mit Hinzufügung der Krönungs-Insignien Böhmens, Ungarns und der Lombardei in geschichtlicher, liturgischer und archäologischer Beziehung'', 1. Theil (Einfache Ausgabe), Wien 1860;
* ''Die Schriften A. Reichenspergers und ihre Bedeutung für die christliche Kunst'', Wien 1860;
* ''Der Schatz von Sanct Marcus in Venedig, Wien 1861'', Reprinted from the August issue of the VI. Year of the communications of the k.k. Central-Commission for the study and conservation of monuments; ListenRead phonetically
* ''Katalog der Ausstellung von neueren Meisterwerken mittelalterlicher Kunst zu Aachen, eröffnet bei Gelegenheit der XIV. General-Versammlung katholischer Vereine, nebst einer kunstgeschichtlichen Einleitung'', Aachen 1862;
* ''Der St. Karls-Teppich in Ausführung genommen von den Frauen und Jungfrauen Aachens'', Aachen 1863;
* ''Über die christlichen Messkännchen'', Prandel u. Ewald, Wien 1864.
* ''Karls des Grossen Pfalzkapelle und ihre Kunstschätze, Kunstgeschichtliche Beschreibung des karolingischen Octogons zu Aachen, etc.'', Cöln & Neuß 1866;
* ''Das Heiligthum zu Aachen. Kurzgefaßte Angabe und Abbildung sämtlicher "großen und kleinen Reliquien" des ehemaligen Krönungs-Münsters, sowie der vorzüglichsten Kunstschätze daselbst'', Köln & Neuß 1867;
* ''Das monumentale Rheinland. Autographische Darstellung der hervorragendsten Baudenkmale des Mittelalters am Rhein und seinen Nebenflüssen in kurzgefasster Beschreibung'', hrsg. u. S. Königlichen Hoheit dem Kronprinzen Friedrich Wilhelm von Preußen gewidmet, Cöln und Neuss 1867;
* ''Rheinlands Baudenkmale des Mittelalters'', Zweite Serie. ''Die ehemalige Benedictiner-Abteikirche zu Brauweiler, Köln'', 867–72* ''Album mittelalterlicher Ornament-Stickerei zur Zierde für Kirche und Haus in Autographien nach älteren und neueren Mustervorlagen'', Heft 1-2, Aachen 1866, Heft 3, Aachen 1869;
* ''Der Kunst- und Reliquienschatz des Kölner Doms'', hrsg. von dem Vorstande des christlichen Kunst-Vereins zu Köln, Köln 1870;
* ''Der altromanische goldene Altaraufsatz im Münster zu Aachen und seine Wiederherstellung durch die Munifizienz Seiner Majestät des Kaisers'', Aachen 1871, Separatdruck aus: ''Echo der Gegenwart'', Nr. 243, Zweites Blatt, 3. September 1871;
* ''Die mittelalterlichen Kunst- und Reliquienschätze zu Maestricht, aufbewahrt in den ehemaligen Stiftskirchen des hl. Servatius und Unserer Lieben Frau daselbst'', archäologisch und historisch beschrieben und durch 66 Holzschnitte erläutert v. Mgr. Dr. Franz Bock u. Vicar M. Willemsen, Thesaurar, Köln und Neuss 1872;
* ''Der St. Lambertus-Teppich, ein Geschenk der Fürstlich Hohenzoller’schen Familie an die gleichnamige Pfarrkirche in Düsseldorf'', Köln/Neuss 1872
Digitalisierte Ausgabe
der Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Düsseldorf
* ''Karl's des Grossen Heiligthümer zu Aachen : kurze Beschreibung derselben nebst Betrachtungen u. Gebeten bei d. öffentl. Zeigung ; zur Erinnerung an die Aachener Heiligthumsfahrt im Jahre 1874 mit 30 erklärenden Holzschnitten''. - Köln : Schwann, 1874
Digitalisierte Ausgabe
der Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Düsseldorf
* ''Die St. Helena-Teppiche, angefertigt von den Frauen und Jungfrauen Triers'', Trier 1893;
* ''Die textilen Byssus
A byssus () is a bundle of filaments secreted by many species of bivalve mollusc that function to attach the mollusc to a solid surface. Species from several families of clams have a byssus, including pen shells ( Pinnidae), true mussels (Mytil ...
-Reliquien des christlichen Abendlandes aufbewahrt in den Kirchen zu Köln, Aachen, Cornelimünster, Mainz und Prag'', Aachen 1895;
* ''Die byzantinischen Zellenschmelze der Sammlung Dr. Alex. von Swenigorodskoi und das darüber veröffentlichte Prachtwerk'', archaeological and art historical study, self-publishing, Alex. of Swenigorodskoi, Aachen 1896
* ''Aachener Goldschmiedekunst ehemals und heute. Unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des neuen Altars der h. h. Eucharistie für die Domgruft in Hildesheim'', Aachen 1897;
* ''Verzeichnis von Schriften über mittelalterliche Kunst und Alterthumswissenschaft'', published in the years 1852-98, Aachen, 1898.
References
Sources
Conant, Blandina. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: ''The American Cyclopaedia'', Volume 2, Appleton, 1873
External links
Franz Bock’s silk collection
at the Victoria & Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
.
*
Works by Franz Bock
at The Online Books Page
The Online Books Page is an index of e-text books available on the Internet. It is edited by John Mark Ockerbloom and is hosted by the library of the University of Pennsylvania. The Online Books Page lists over 2 million books and has several feat ...
Works by Franz Bock
at the German National Library
The German National Library (DNB; german: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek) is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. Its task is to colle ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bock, Franz Johann Joseph
1823 births
1899 deaths
German art historians
19th-century German Roman Catholic priests
German male non-fiction writers
People from Aachen