Jacob Wimpfeling
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Jakob Wimpfeling (25 July 1450 – 17 November 1528) was a Renaissance humanist and theologian.


Biography

Wimpfeling was born in Sélestat (Schlettstadt), Alsace, Lorraine. He went to the school at Sélestat, which was run by
Ludwig Dringenberg Ludwig Dringenberg (born between 1410 and 1415 at Dringenberg in the Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn; died in 1477 at Sélestat in Alsace), was a German monk, educator and humanist. Born in Dringenberg in Westphalia, Ludwig probably attended the ...
, the founder of the
Humanist Library of Sélestat The Humanist Library in Sélestat is one of the most important cultural treasures of Alsace, France. According to a traditional saying, Alsace has three great treasures: Strasbourg Cathedral, the Isenheim Altarpiece in Colmar and the Humanist Lib ...
. In 1464 he became a student at the University of Freiburg, where he received his baccalaureus in 1466; later he went to the University of Erfurt and the University of Heidelberg, where he received his
magister Magister is Latin for "master" or "teacher". It may refer to: Positions and titles * Magister degree, an academic degree * Magister equitum, or Master of the Horse * Magister militum, a master of the soldiers * Magister officiorum (''master of o ...
in 1471. He then studied Canon law for three years, and finally theology. In 1483, he was cathedral preacher at Speyer. In 1498, Philip, Elector Palatine, called him to Heidelberg as professor of rhetoric and poetry. From 1500, he lived in
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, with its bishop Albert of Palatinate-Mosbach as his patron. There he devoted himself to writing, before returning to his birthplace in 1513. At Sélestat a circle of pupils and admirers gathered around him. Differences of opinion on Lutheranism broke up this literary society. After Martin Luther's excommunication he took part in the attempt to prevail upon the Curia to withdraw the ban. This caused him to be suspected of having written a
lampoon Lampoon may refer to: *Parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ...
on the Curia, ''Litancia pro Germania'', which was probably actually written by
Hermann von dem Busche Hermann von dem Busche (also Hermannus Buschius or Pasiphilus; 1468–1534) was a German humanist writer, known for his ''Vallum humanitatis'' (1518). He was a pupil of Rudolph von Langen. ''Vallum humanitatis, sive Humaniorum litterarum contra ob ...
. In 1521, Wimpfeling submitted to the Roman Church, of which he was ever afterwards a loyal son. In 1524 he added to Jerome Emser's dialogue against Huldrych Zwingli's '' Canonis missae defensio'' in an open letter to Luther and Zwingli, in which he exhorted them to examine the scriptures carefully in order to discover for themselves that the
Canon of the Mass The Canon of the Mass ( la, Canon Missæ), also known as the Canon of the Roman Mass and in the Mass of Paul VI as the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I, is the oldest anaphora used in the Roman Rite of Mass. The name ''Canon Missæ'' was used in ...
contains nothing contrary to the doctrines and customs of the
early Church Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish ...
. Wimpfeling then retired from the struggle, and was ridiculed by Lutherans as a renegade and a persecutor of heretics. He died in 1528 in Sélestat.


Works

Wimpfeling's literary career began with a few publications in which he urged the more frequent holding of synods, the veneration of the
Blessed Virgin Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, and an improvement of the discipline of the clergy. The ''Elegantiarum medulla'' (1493) is an extract from Lorenzo Valla's books on the elegance of the Latin language. In the ''Isidoneus germanicus'' (1496) he presented his pedagogical ideals, and opposed
scholasticism Scholasticism was a medieval school of philosophy that employed a critical organic method of philosophical analysis predicated upon the Aristotelian 10 Categories. Christian scholasticism emerged within the monastic schools that translate ...
. The teaching of grammar should lead to the reading of heathen writers who were not immoral and especially of the Christian writers. He also laid emphasis on learning the practical sciences. His most important work, ''Adolescentia'' (1500), was intended to supplement ''Isidoneus''. Here he set forth the ethical side of his pedagogical scheme. The troubles of the Church spring from the bad training of the young; consequently, young people must be trained so as to be well-established in morals. He then discusses the details of twenty laws for young men. He showed himself a fiery patriot in the ''Germanic'' (1501), which involved him in a feud with
Murner Thomas Murner, OFM (24 December 1475c. 1537) was an Alsatian satirist, poet and translator. He was born at Oberehnheim (Obernai) near Strasbourg. In 1490 he entered the Franciscan order, and in 1495 began travelling, studying and then teaching ...
. His ''Epitome rerum germanicarum'' (1505) is a short history of the Germans, drawn in some particulars from other historians. In several writings he opposed abuses in the Church. Wimpfeling bequeathed several of his books and manuscripts to the
Humanist Library of Sélestat The Humanist Library in Sélestat is one of the most important cultural treasures of Alsace, France. According to a traditional saying, Alsace has three great treasures: Strasbourg Cathedral, the Isenheim Altarpiece in Colmar and the Humanist Lib ...
, where they are still kept today.


References

*
Charles Schmidt Charles, Charlie, or Chuck Smith could refer to: *Charles "Boss" Schmidt (1880-1932), American professional baseball player * Charles J. Schmidt (1907-1966), American politician from Wisconsin *Chuck Schmidt, American politician from Kansas * Char ...
, ''Histoire litteraire de l'Alsace'' (Paris, 1879), I, 1–187; II, 317–39 *
Joseph Knepper Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...
, ''Jakob Wimpfeling'' (Freiburg, 1902)


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wimpfeling, Jakob 1450 births 1528 deaths 15th-century German writers 16th-century German writers 16th-century German male writers German Renaissance humanists Christian humanists Heidelberg University alumni People from Sélestat University of Erfurt alumni