Peter Erasmus Müller (29 May 1776 – 4 September 1834), was a Danish
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 race; as well as the stu ...
,
linguist
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
,
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 ...
, and bishop of the
Diocese of Zealand The Diocese of Zealand (Danish: ''Sjællands Stift'') was a protestant diocese in Denmark that existed from 1537 to 1922. The diocese had been formed in 1537 following the Reformation of Denmark, and was dissolved in 1922 when it was divided into ...
from 1830 until his death.
Career
Müller studied at the
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...
, where he passed his theological examination in 1791. After spending some time at various
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
universities, he visited
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Returning to Denmark, he wrote numerous works and was appointed professor of theology at the
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...
in 1801. During his time as a professor, he produced a large number of essays and books about theology, history, and linguistics. As a result of the fame these works earned him, he was appointed a member of the
Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
{{Infobox organization
, name = The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
, full_name =
, native_name = Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab
, native_name_lang =
, logo = Royal ...
in 1811 and joined the
Arnamagnæan Institute
The Arnamagnæan Institute ( da, Den Arnamagnæanske Samling, formerly ''Det Arnamagnæanske Institut'') is a teaching and research institute established in 1956 to further the study of the manuscripts in the Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection, th ...
in 1815.
Following the death of
Friedrich Münter
Friedrich Christian Carl Heinrich Münter (14 October 1761 – 9 April 1830) was a German-Danish scholar, theologian, and Bishop of Zealand from 1808 until his death. His name has also been recorded as Friederich Münter.
In addition to his posit ...
in 1830, he was appointed the Bishop of Zealand, the highest ecclesiastical dignity in Denmark at the time. He held the position for only four years, as Müller died in 1834 after a long period of illness.
Works
In his time as a professor of theology, Müller wrote a variety of essays which, though many were intended as instructional materials for his students, gained him acclaim as a theologian. He also wrote academically about history and linguistics. The most notable of these works include:
* ''De hierarchia et studio vitæ asceticæ in sacris et mysteriis Græcorum Romanorumqve latentibus'' (1803)
* ''Kristeligt Moralsystem'' (1808)
* ''Kristelig Apologetik'' (1810)
* ''Om Kilderne til Saxos 9 første bøger og deres Troværdighed'' (1823)
* ''System i den kristelige Dogmatik'' (1826)
* ''Dansk Synonymik eller forklaring af enstydige danske Ord'' (1829)
In the academic world, Müller was perhaps best known for his study of the
nordic sagas. His works concerning nordic mythology include:
* ''Antikvarisk Undersøgelse over de ved Gallehus fundne Guldhorn'' (1806)
* ''Sagabibliothek'' (three volumes, 1810–1818)
* ''Om Avthentien af Snorres Edda og beviset derfra kan hentes for Asalærens Ægthed'' (1812).
* ''Om det islandske Sprogs Vigtighed'' (1813)
* ''Undersøgelse om Kilderne til Snorros Heimskringla og disses Troværdighed'' (1820)
* ''Kritisk Undersögelse af Danmarks og Norges Sagnhistorie'' (1823–1830)
Müller also authored two biographies:
* ''Vita Andreæ Sunonis, archiepiscopi Lundensis'' (1830)
* ''Vita Lagonis Urne, episcopi Roskildensis'' (1831)
Personal life and family
Müller was born in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
to Frederik Adam Müller (1725–1795) and Marthe Sophie Garboe. His mother died in 1780, when Peter Erasmus was only four years old. Because his father was a renowned collector of copper engravings,
chalcography
Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ...
, and books, Münter had access to a wide breath of knowledge. He had been taught by private tutors and had a relatively isolated childhood as a result. His brother, Adam Gottlob Müller (1769–1833), was a member of the
Danish Supreme Court
The Supreme Court (, lit. ''Highest Court'', , ) is the supreme court and the third and final instance in all civil and criminal cases in the Kingdom of Denmark. It is based at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen which also houses the Danish ...
.
In 1805, he married Louise Augusta Stub (1778–1852), the granddaughter of
Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein
Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein (30 January 1723, Wernigerode – 6 July 1795, Copenhagen) was a German-born doctor, physicist and engineer. From 1753 to the end of his life he was a professor at the University of Copenhagen where he served as ...
. The couple had three sons and a daughter. Their first son, Otto Frederik Müller (1807–1882) became a member of the Supreme Court and was the father of
Peter Lange-Müller
Peter Erasmus Lange-Müller (1 December 1850 – 26 February 1926) was a Danish composer and pianist. His compositional style was influenced by Danish folk music and by the work of Robert Schumann; Johannes Brahms; and his Danish countrymen, includ ...
. Their second son, Carl Ludvig Müller (1809–1891), was a
numismatist
A numismatist is a specialist in numismatics ("of coins"; from Late Latin ''numismatis'', genitive of ''numisma''). Numismatists include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholars who use coins and other currency in object-based research. Altho ...
and the father of
Sophus Müller
Sophus Otto Müller (24 May 1846 - 23 February 1934) was a Denmark, Danish Archaeology, archaeologist.
Biography
He was born in Copenhagen, the son of C. Louis Müller. Sophus studied classical philology at Copenhagen University, graduating can ...
. The couple's youngest son,
Adam August Müller, was a renowned painter.
References
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Muller, Peter Erasmus
1776 births
1834 deaths
19th-century Danish clergy
Danish Lutheran theologians
Linguists from Denmark
19th-century Danish historians
Danish Lutheran bishops
University of Copenhagen alumni
Academic staff of the University of Copenhagen
People from Copenhagen
19th-century Protestant theologians
Members of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters