Felix von Hartmann
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Felix von Hartmann (15 December 1851 – 11 November 1919) was a German
prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...
, who was Archbishop of Cologne from 1912 to 1919.


Life

Felix von Hartmann was born in
Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...
, the child of the second marriage of government official Albert von Hartmann. The family was close to the Westphalian aristocracy and served in a manner that was similar to that of traditional
Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
public servants. After finishing his courses at
Gymnasium Paulinum Gymnasium Paulinum is a Gymnasium (Germany), Gymnasium (secondary) school in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in around 797 and is claimed to be the oldest school in Germany. Early history Gymnasium Paulinum was establish ...
in Westphalia, he attended the Roman Catholic boarding school Collegium Augustinianum Gaesdonck, where Hermann Dingelstad, later Bishop of Münster, was his teacher. In 1870, he enrolled in a theological school in Westphalia, and on 19 December 1874, he was ordained a
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
. Because the '' Kulturkampf'' ("culture war") made employment in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
impossible. He went to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
, where he joined the priest college at Santa Maria dell' Anima, and became Chaplain in the church
Santa Maria dell'Anima , native_name= , image=Santa Maria del Anima I.jpg , caption=Façade of the church. , mapframe=yes , mapframe-caption=Click on the map for a fullscreen view , mapframe-zoom=12 , mapframe-marker=religious-christian , coordinates= , location=Via di ...
, that was then the German national church in Rome. He simultaneously started his study of
Canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
. In 1877, he earned the title of Dr. jur. can. (doctor of canon law) and returned to Westphalia in 1879, where he became a chaplain in the parishes of
Havixbeck Havixbeck ( Westphalian: ''Havkesbierk'' or ''Havkesbieck'') is a municipality situated on the north-east edge of the Baumberge in the district of Coesfeld, in northern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 15 km west ...
and Emmerich. In 1890, he became secretary and chaplain to Dingelstad, by this time Bishop of Münster. He rose through the ranks of the Church by serving as counselor of the episcopal curia of Münich, 1895–1905; canon of the cathedral chapter of Münster, 1903–1905;
vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop' ...
of Münster, 30 October 1905 – 1911; dean of the chapter and vicar capitular, 1910; and ''protonotary apostolic ad instar participantium'', 20 December 1907. He was prepared, on the basis of royal nomination, to be promoted to the episcopate of Münster, where he was promoted to dean in 1911. Having a great influence on church politics because the bishop trusted him completely, he had a certain view concerning reforming Catholicism that even later he would never give up. Because his influence was well known, his election to the bishopric of Münster on 6 June 1911 surprised no one. Despite the royal government's disapproval of his
ultramontane Ultramontanism is a clerical political conception within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. It contrasts with Gallicanism, the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by th ...
views, it was impressed by his wise and polite ways, his excellent manners and his noble descent. His papal confirmation followed on 27 July and then his ordination as bishop by the Archbishop of Cologne, Anton Fischer, on 26 October in Münster. On 29 October 1912, von Hartmann was selected as Archbishop of Cologne. He was enthroned on 19 April 1913. On 2 May 1914, Pope Pius X made him a Cardinal. From 1914 to his death, he was the leader of the Conference of German Bishops in Fulda. When he arrived in Cologne at the height of the labour union strike, his main concern were the Catholic workers' organizations. In that issue, he succeeded in assuming a flexible attitude, and in 1913, he also began openly endorsinf the interdenominational trade unions. He found support for his stance in Cologne and other places, but many others considered his opinion to be a stab in the back. Cardinal Kopp even tried to block his creation as Cardinal because of that. Often and certainly accurately described as
patriotic Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to one's country. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, language relating to one's own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or histor ...
and loyal to the
monarchy A monarchy is a government#Forms, form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The legitimacy (political)#monarchy, political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restric ...
, those around him always saw him as a political
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
because his restraint with reference to the Centre Party was self-explanatory. In addition, he did not support the abolition of the '' Dreiklassenwahlrecht'', a system that allocated voting rights according to how much tax one paid. That was because he feared that doing so would benefit the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Fo ...
. He was convinced of the legitimacy of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and in 1915 went to Rome personally to explain the German government's view on the
Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
question. The risk-averse and conflict-shy Hartmann sought in that manner to escape at any price from Belgian Cardinal Mercier. When Mercier then asked the German episcopate to acquit the Belgian population of the accusation of partisan warfare in 1916, Hartmann could be dissuaded only with difficulty from giving a public reply, which would have involved the episcopate in nationalist polemics. In general, Hartmann cared for the
cure of souls Pastoral care is an ancient model of emotional, social and spiritual support that can be found in all cultures and traditions. The term is considered inclusive of distinctly non-religious forms of support, as well as support for people from rel ...
, for prisoners of war and for mercy for many foreigners who were sentenced by German war tribunals. Therefore, he travelled to the Western Front in the summer of 1916 and continued to maintain good contacts with
Kaiser Wilhelm II , house = Hohenzollern , father = Frederick III, German Emperor , mother = Victoria, Princess Royal , religion = Lutheranism (Prussian United) , signature = Wilhelm II, German Emperor Signature-.svg Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor ...
even after the fall of the German Empire. In mid-September 1919, Hartmann became ill with shingles on the left side of his head, which led rapidly to the paralysis of the left half of his face. In early November he contracted
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
as well, which led to his death in the early morning hours of 11 November in Cologne. Hartmann is buried in the Cathedral of Cologne.


References


External links


The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
* with numerous references. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hartmann, Felix Von 1851 births 1919 deaths Archbishops of Cologne German untitled nobility 20th-century German cardinals German people of World War I Members of the Prussian House of Lords People from the Province of Westphalia Burials at Cologne Cathedral Roman Catholic bishops of Münster Cardinals created by Pope Pius X