Johann Stephan Pütter (25 June 1725,
Iserlohn
Iserlohn (; Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region.
Geography
Iserlohn is locat ...
– 12 August 1807,
Göttingen
Göttingen (, , ; nds, Chöttingen) 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. At the end of 2019, t ...
) was a German law lecturer and publicist. He was professor of law at the
university of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
from 1746 until his death. He exerted great influence on the law institutions of his time. His principal work is ''Historische Entwicklung der heutigen Staatsverfassung des Deutschen Reichs'' (Historical development of the current constitution of the German Empire; 1786–'99).
Life
Johann Stephan Pütter was born to a merchant from Iserlohn, with his mother coming from the Varnhagen family of pastors from the same town. He received his only pre-university education at home from a local priest, learning Latin, ancient Greek, Hebrew, Chaldaean and Syriac and so almost becoming an orientalist. Instead, however, on his father's death, he followed family tradition and went into law.
Pütter began his legal studies aged nearly 13 at the
University of Marburg
The Philipps University of Marburg (german: Philipps-Universität Marburg) was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Protestant university in the wor ...
under tutors who included
Christian Wolff. In 1739 he joined the
University of Halle
Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (german: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg), also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg and the largest and oldest university i ...
(where he became friends with
Gottfried Achenwall) and completed his legal studies at the
University of Jena
The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (german: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany.
The un ...
. In 1744 he
habilitated
Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...
at Marburg and in 1746 he was appointed associate professor of law at
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
, where he remained until his death, not least thanks to the advocacy and protection of
David Georg Strube. This was despite many requests from other universities – he even turned down offers to become a minister in the
electorate of Hanover
The Electorate of Hanover (german: Kurfürstentum Hannover or simply ''Kurhannover'') was an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, located in northwestern Germany and taking its name from the capital city of Hanover. It was formally known as ...
, a member of the
'Reichshofrat' in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
or a law-reformer in
St Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. However, he did serve three times (1764, 1790 and 1794) as the electorate of Hanover's representative at the
Imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* Imperial, Texa ...
elections in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
(Hanover then being in personal union with the king of England).
According to Achenwall, Pütter was established in 1743 as a member of the Masonic lodge named "Zu den drey Löwen" in Marburg.
The Pütterstraße in Iserlohn's city centre is named after him.
Work
Books
*„Vollständiges Handbuch der deutschen Reichshistorie“, Göttingen, 1762, (2. Aufl. 1772).
*„Litteratur des teutschen Staatsrechts“, Göttingen, 1776–1783, (3 volumes
online version
*„Historische Entwickelung der heutigen Staatsverfassung des Deutschen Reichs“, Göttingen, 1786–87, (3 Bde.), (3. Aufl. 1798).
* Doktor-Dissertation des Johann Stephan Pütter, vorgelegt am 16. April 1744. Marburg, Müller o.J.
* Vorbereitung zu einem praktischen Kollegium des Öffentlichen Rechts. Göttingen, J.W. Schmid 1749.
* Anleitung zur juristischen Praxi ... Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1753.
* Grundriß der Staatsveränderungen des teutschen Reichs. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1755.
* Historisch-politisches Handbuch von den besonderen teutschen Staaten, erster Theil: Oesterreich, Bayern und Pfalz. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1758.
* Elementa Iuris Publici Germanici. Göttingen 1760.
* Auserlesene Rechts-Fälle aus allen Theilen der in Teutschland üblichen Rechtsgelehrsamkeit in Deductionen, rechtlichen Bedenken, Relationen und Urteilen. 3 Bde. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1760–1785.
* Öffentliche Rede zur Feier des allgemeinen Friedens am 19. September in der Universitätskirche.Göttingen 1763.
* Versuch einer academischen Gelehrtengeschichte von der Georg-Augustus-Universität zu Göttingen. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1765.
* Opuscula rem judiciariam Imperii illustrantia. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1766.
* Neuer Versuch einer juristischen Encyclopädie und Methodologie. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1767.
* Tabulae Genealogicae ad illustrandam Historiam Imperii Germaniamque Principem. 2 Bde. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1768–1788.
* Rechtliches Bedenken in Sachen der Bürgerschaft zu Rostock ... Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1769.
* Unparteyisches rechtliches Bedenken über die zwischen der Krone Böhmens und den Herren von
Zedwitz ... Göttingen, J. Ch. Dieterich 1772.
* Der einzige Weg zur wahren Glückseligkeit deren jeder Mensch fähig ist. Göttingen, Dieterich 1775.
* Wahre Bewandtnis der am 8. May 1776 erfolgten Trennung der bisherigen Visitation des kayserlichen und Reichs-Cammergerichts. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1776.
* Neuester Reichsschluß über einige Verbesserungen des Kaiserlichen und Reichs-Kammergerichts ... Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1776.
* Beyträge zum Teutschen Staats- und Fürstenrechte. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1777.
* Teutsche Reichgeschichte in ihrem Hauptfaden entwickelt. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1778.
* Primae Lineae Juris Privati Principum Speciatim Germaniae. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1779.
* Kurzer Begriff der teutschen Reichsgeschichte. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1780.
* Nova Epitome Processus Imperii. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1786.
* Historische Entwicklung der heutigen Staatsverfassung des teutschen Reichs. 3 Bde. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1786–1787.
* Unmaßgebliche Gedanken über die von der Osnabrückischen Stadt Fürstenau wegen der daselbst gestatteten catholischen Religionsübung geführten Beschwerde. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1788.
* Erörterungen und Beispiele des teutschen Staats- und Fürstenrechts. 2 Bde. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1793–1794.
* Über das gemeine Reichs- oder fürstlich Taxische Postwesen gegen den Herrn geheimen Justizrath Pütter in Göttingen. Hildburghausen, J.G. Hanisch 1793.
* Synopsis Historiae Imperii Romano-Germanici. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1793.
* Über den Unterschied der Stände ... Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1795.
* Ueber Mißheiraten Teutscher Fürsten und Grafen. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1796.
* Geist des Westphälischen Friedens ... Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1795.
* Ueber die beste Art Acten zu referiren ... Göttingen, P.G. Schröder 1797.
* Selbstbiographie zur dankbaren Jubelfeier seiner 50jährigen Professorstelle zu Göttingen. 2 Bde. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck 1798.
Notes
References
*
*
* Arno Buschmann (2004): Estor, Pütter, Hugo – Zur Vorgeschichte der Historischen Rechtsschule. In: Vielfalt und Einheit in der Rechtsgeschichte. Festgabe für
Elmar Wadle. Herausgegeben von
Thomas Gergen
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
. Köln
. a. pp. 75–101.
* Gerd Kleinheyer und Jan Schröder: ''Deutsche Juristen aus fünf Jahrhunderten'', C. F. Müller Verlag, Heidelberg, 3. Auflage, 1989.
*
Patrick Ernst Sensburg: ''Johann Stephan Pütter aus Iserlohn''. In: „Die großen Juristen des Sauerlandes“, Arnsberg, 2002, pp. 31–46.
* Jan Schröder: ''Gottfried Achenwall, Johann Stephan Pütter und die »Elementa Iuris Naturae«'', in: Gottfried Achenwall und Johann Stephan Pütter, „Anfangsgründe des Naturrechts (Elementa Iuris Naturae)“ (herausgegeben und übersetzt von Jan Schröder), Insel Verlag, Frankfurt a.M. und Leipzig, 1995.
* Wilhelm Schulte: „Westfälische Köpfe“, Münster, 1977, pp. 251f.
* Dietmar Willoweit: ''Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte''. Verlag C. H. Beck, München, 5. Auflage, 2005.
* Pütter-Gesellschaft Iserlohn (Hrsg.): ''Ausstellung: 250 Jahre Johann Stephan Pütter''. Haus der Heimat, Iserlohn vom 27. Juni bis 13. Juli 1975.
*