Johann Heinrich Hottinger
Encyclopedia
Johann Heinrich Hottinger (March 10, 1620 – June 5, 1667) was a Swiss
philologist
and theologian
.
, Groningen and Leiden. After visiting France
and England
he was appointed professor of church history in his native town of Zürich
in 1642. The chair of Hebrew
at the Carolinum was added in 1643, and in 1653 he was appointed professor ordinarius of logic, rhetoric and theology.
He gained such a reputation as an Orient
al scholar that the elector palatine in 1655 appointed him professor of Oriental languages and biblical criticism at the University of Heidelberg. While in Heidelberg he also worked to reestablish the Collegium Sapientiae
, a Reformed theological seminary. In 1661 he returned to Zürich, where in 1662 he was appointed principal of the University of Zürich
. In 1667 he accepted an invitation to succeed Johann Hoornbeck (1617–1666) as professor in the University of Leiden. Before he could take up this position he drowned with three of his children after the upsetting of a boat while crossing the river Limmat
.
His chief works are Historia ecclesiastica Nov. Test. (1651–1667); Thesaurus philologicus seu clavis scripturae (1649; 3rd ed. 1698); Etymologicon orientale, sive lexicon harmonicum heptaglotton (1661). He also wrote a Hebrew and an Aramaic
grammar.
(1652–1735), who became professor of theology at Zürich in 1698, was the author of a work against Roman Catholicism, Helvetische Kirchengeschichte (4 vols, 1698–1729); and his grandson, Johann Heinrich Hottinger (1681–1750), who in 1721 was appointed professor of theology at Heidelberg, wrote a work on dogma
tics, Typus doctrinae christianae (1714).
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
philologist
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
and theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
.
Life and works
Hottinger studied at GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Groningen and Leiden. After visiting France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
he was appointed professor of church history in his native town of Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in 1642. The chair of Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
at the Carolinum was added in 1643, and in 1653 he was appointed professor ordinarius of logic, rhetoric and theology.
He gained such a reputation as an Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
al scholar that the elector palatine in 1655 appointed him professor of Oriental languages and biblical criticism at the University of Heidelberg. While in Heidelberg he also worked to reestablish the Collegium Sapientiae
Collegium Sapientiae
The Collegium Sapientiae was a preparatory academy and later theological seminary in Heidelberg in the early modern period....
, a Reformed theological seminary. In 1661 he returned to Zürich, where in 1662 he was appointed principal of the University of Zürich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
. In 1667 he accepted an invitation to succeed Johann Hoornbeck (1617–1666) as professor in the University of Leiden. Before he could take up this position he drowned with three of his children after the upsetting of a boat while crossing the river Limmat
Limmat
The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. It is the continuation of the Linth river, known as Limmat from the point of effluence from Lake Zurich, in the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare...
.
His chief works are Historia ecclesiastica Nov. Test. (1651–1667); Thesaurus philologicus seu clavis scripturae (1649; 3rd ed. 1698); Etymologicon orientale, sive lexicon harmonicum heptaglotton (1661). He also wrote a Hebrew and an Aramaic
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
grammar.
Family
His son, Johann Jakob HottingerJohann Jakob Hottinger
Johann Jakob Hottinger was the son of the Swiss philologist and theologian Johann Heinrich Hottinger.He became professor of theology at Zürich in 1698, and was the author of a work against Roman Catholicism, Helvetische Kirchengeschichte .----...
(1652–1735), who became professor of theology at Zürich in 1698, was the author of a work against Roman Catholicism, Helvetische Kirchengeschichte (4 vols, 1698–1729); and his grandson, Johann Heinrich Hottinger (1681–1750), who in 1721 was appointed professor of theology at Heidelberg, wrote a work on dogma
Dogma
Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
tics, Typus doctrinae christianae (1714).
Works
- Historia ecclesiastica 9 vols. (1651–1667)
- Historia orientalis (Zurich 1651)
- Thesaurus philologicus, Clavis scripturae (Zurich 1649, 3rd edition 1669)
- Etymologicon orientale, sive Lexicon harmonicum heptaglotton (Heidelberg 1661)
Further reading
- Hottinger, Johann Heinrich, in Johann Jakob Herzog, ed. Real-Encyklopädie für protestantische Theologie und Kirche, 6. Band, Stuttgart und Hamburg 1856, pp. 287–290.
- Jan Loop, Johann Heinrich Hottinger (1620-1667) and the Historia Orientalis, Church History and Religious Culture 88 (2008): 169-203.
- Heinrich Steiner, Der Zürcher Professor Johann Heinrich Hottinger in Heidelberg. Zurich 1886.