Johann Friedrich Boehmer by Amelie de Barrelier 1845

Johann Friedrich Böhmer (22 April 179522 October 1863) was a German

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

. His historical work was chiefly concerned with collecting and tabulating charters and other imperial documents of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

Biography

Böhmer was born in

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

as the son of the

Palatine A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman Empire, Roman times.

official Karl Ludwig Böhmer. Educated at the universities of

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

and

Göttingen Göttingen (, ; ; ) is a college town, university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the Capital (political), capital of Göttingen (district), the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. According to the 2022 German census, t ...

, he showed an interest in art and visited Italy; but returning to Frankfurt he turned his attention to the study of history, and became secretary of the ''Gesellschaft für ältere deutsche Geschichtskunde''. He was also archivist and then librarian of the city of Frankfurt."Böhmer, Johann Friedrich", Treccani
/ref> Böhmer had a great dislike of

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

and the Protestant faith, and a corresponding affection for Austria and the Roman Catholic Church, to which, however, he did not belong. His researches are of great value to students. He died unmarried. Johannes Janssen wrote a biography in three volumes in 1868 of Böhmer, a man whom he considered as his teacher and guide.Janssen, Johannes. ''Johann Friedrich Boehmers Leben, Briefe und kleinere Schriften'', Freiburg, 1868

Historical work

Böhmer's historical work was chiefly concerned with collecting and tabulating charters and other imperial documents of the Middle Ages. First appeared an abstract, the ''Regesta chronologico-diplomatica regum atque imperatorum Romanorum 911-1313'' (Frankfurt, 1831), which was followed by the ''Regesta chronologico-diplomatica Karolorum. Die Urkunden sämtlicher Karolinger in kurzen Auszügen'' (Frankfurt, 1833), and a series of ''Regesta imperii''. For the period 1314-1347 (Frankfurt, 1839) the ''Regesta'' was followed by three, and for the period 1246-1313 (Frankfurt, 1844) by two supplementary volumes. The remaining period of the ''Regesta'', as edited by Böhmer, is 1198-1254 (Stuttgart, 1849). These collections contain introductions and explanatory passages by the author. Very valuable also is the ''Fontes rerum Germanicarum'' (Stuttgart, 1843–1868), a collection of original authorities for German history during the 13th and 14th centuries. The fourth and last volume of this work was edited by A. Huber after the author's death. Other collections edited by Böhmer are: ''Die Reichsgesetze 900-1400'' (Frankfurt, 1832); ''Wittelsbachische Regesten von der Erwerbung des Herzogtums Bayern 1180 bis zu dessen erster Wiedervereinigung 1340'' (Stuttgart, 1854); and ''Codex diplomaticus Moeno-Francofurtanus''. ''Urkundenbuch der Reichsstadt Frankfurt'' (Frankfurt, 1836; new edition by F Law, 1901). Other volumes and editions of the ''Regesta imperii'', edited by

Julius von Ficker Julius Ficker or Julius von Ficker or Johann Kaspar Julius Ficker von Feldhaus (30 April 1826 – 10 June 1902) was a Roman Catholic Germans, German historian. In 1898 he was awarded the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts.Engelbert Mühlbacher Engelbert Mühlbacher (4 October 1843 – 17 July 1903) was an Austrian historian. Born in Gresten, he received his classical education in Linz, Upper Austria being his family's home region. In 1862 he became a novice among the Austin Canon ...

, Eduard Winkelmann and others, are largely based on Böhmer's work. Böhmer left a great amount of unpublished material, and after his death two other works were published from his papers: ''Acta imperii selecta'', edited by J. Ficker (

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

, 1870); and ''Regesta archiepiscoporum Maguntinensium'', edited by C Will (Innsbruck, 1877–1886).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bohmer, Johann Friedrich 1795 births 1863 deaths 19th-century German historians German librarians Writers from Frankfurt Heidelberg University alumni University of Göttingen alumni Burials at Frankfurt Main Cemetery German male non-fiction writers Members of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities