Johann Friedrich Böhmer

Johann Friedrich Böhmer (22 April 179522 October 1863) was a German historian. His historical work was chiefly concerned with collecting and tabulating charters and other imperial documents of the Middle Ages. This work in turn cites:
*Johannes Janssen, ''J. F. Böhmers Leben, Briefe und kleinere Schriften'' (Freiburg, 1868).

Biography

Böhmer was born in Frankfurt as the son of the Palatine official Karl Ludwig Böhmer. Educated at the universities of Heidelberg and Göttingen, 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 had a great dislike of Prussia and the Protestant faith, and a corresponding affection for Austria and the Roman Catholic Church, to which, however, he did not belong. His critical sense was, perhaps, somewhat warped; but his researches are of great value to students. He died unmarried.

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, Engelbert Mühlbacher, 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, 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