Nicolaus von Weis
Encyclopedia
Nicolaus von Weis was from 1842 to 1869 Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer, in the Rhenish Palatinate (in that time a political part of the German Kingdom of Bavaria, now divided up between the new German federal states Rhineland-Palatinate
and Saarland
.
, Saarland.
He studied at the seminary
at Mainz
, when Bruno Franz Leopold Liebermann
was regent, and was ordained 22 August 1818 by Bishop Joseph Ludwig Colmar
. Hereupon he taught the humanities at the seminary (1818-20), was pastor at Dudenhofen
(1820-22), canon
at the Speyer Cathedral
(1822-37), and dean of the cathedral (1837-42). During this time he was said to have displayed remarkable literary activity.
, afterwards Bishop of Strasbourg, he revised, enlarged, and translated several apologetic, dogmatic, homiletic, and hagiographic works, the best known of which are an enlarged German
edition of Butler's "Lives of the Saints
" (24 vols., Mainz, 1821-27), translations from the French of Carron, Brillet, Picot, and others, and an extensive compilation of sermons by various authors. He founded the monthly review "Der Katholik" at Mainz
, conjointly with Rass. He was its sole editor from 1827 to 1841. For some time it was one of the leading German Catholic monthly periodicals.
On 27 February 1842, he was nominated as successor to Bishop Geissel of Speyer who was his friend and seminary classmate. He was preconized, 23 May, consecrated at Munich
by Archbishop Gebsattel on 10 July, and solemnly enthroned in the cathedral of Speyer on 20 July.
He laboured with what has been said to be great success for the advancement of Christian education among the faithful, promoted popular missions and pious ecclesiastical societies, introduced annual retreats for the priests of his diocese, and fostered religious orders, especially female teaching orders. His efforts to establish a theological seminary were said to have been frustrated by the Bavaria
n Government. During his pontificate the cathedral of Speyer was artistically frescoed by Johann Schraudolph
(1846-53), and the renovation of its western front was completed (1858). He founded also monasteries and orphanages and is called the rebuilder of the modern Speyer Diocese after the refoundation in the year 1817. His charity for the poor and his hospitality were legendary. Therefore the German novelist Conrad von Bolanden
characterized him in his novel Die Aufgeklärten, 1864, as the "landlord of the golden cross, whom call the poor their father".
The famous artist Eduard von Steinle
painted the clergyman in his impressive work "Priest carries the Holy Sacrament over the mountains" with the face of his friend Nikolaus von Weis.
Bishop Nikolaus von Weis is buried in the Speyer Cathedral
. In Speyer are named a street and two schools after him; in Landstuhl
a street, a school and an orphanage.
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
and Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
.
Life
His father was a shepherd and the poor German family lived in Lorraine, near the German border. After the early death of the father, his mother went back with the boy to Germany and he grew up in Altheim, now a part of BlieskastelBlieskastel
Blieskastel is a municipality in the Saarpfalz district, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the river Blies, approximately 8 km west of Zweibrücken, and 20 km east of Saarbrücken.-International relations:...
, Saarland.
He studied at the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
at Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, when Bruno Franz Leopold Liebermann
Bruno Franz Leopold Liebermann
Bruno Franz Leopold Liebermann was a German Catholic theologian.-Life:...
was regent, and was ordained 22 August 1818 by Bishop Joseph Ludwig Colmar
Joseph Ludwig Colmar
Joseph Ludwig Colmar was a German Catholic Bishop of Mainz.-Life:After his ordination he was professor of history and Greek at the Royal Seminary, and curate at St. Stephen's, Strasbourg...
. Hereupon he taught the humanities at the seminary (1818-20), was pastor at Dudenhofen
Dudenhofen
Dudenhofen is a municipality in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.It is situated about 3 kilometers west of Speyer.Dudenhofen is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Dudenhofen....
(1820-22), canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
at the Speyer Cathedral
Speyer Cathedral
The Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, in Latin: Domus sanctae Mariae Spirae in Speyer, Germany, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bamberg. The cathedral, which is dedicated to St...
(1822-37), and dean of the cathedral (1837-42). During this time he was said to have displayed remarkable literary activity.
Works
In conjunction with Andreas RassAndreas Räss
André Raess was an Alsatian Catholic Bishop of Strasbourg.-Life:...
, afterwards Bishop of Strasbourg, he revised, enlarged, and translated several apologetic, dogmatic, homiletic, and hagiographic works, the best known of which are an enlarged German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
edition of Butler's "Lives of the Saints
Lives of the Saints
Lives of the Saints is a novel by Nino Ricci. The author's first book, it forms the first part of a trilogy. The other two novels are In a Glass House and Where She Has Gone...
" (24 vols., Mainz, 1821-27), translations from the French of Carron, Brillet, Picot, and others, and an extensive compilation of sermons by various authors. He founded the monthly review "Der Katholik" at Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, conjointly with Rass. He was its sole editor from 1827 to 1841. For some time it was one of the leading German Catholic monthly periodicals.
On 27 February 1842, he was nominated as successor to Bishop Geissel of Speyer who was his friend and seminary classmate. He was preconized, 23 May, consecrated at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
by Archbishop Gebsattel on 10 July, and solemnly enthroned in the cathedral of Speyer on 20 July.
He laboured with what has been said to be great success for the advancement of Christian education among the faithful, promoted popular missions and pious ecclesiastical societies, introduced annual retreats for the priests of his diocese, and fostered religious orders, especially female teaching orders. His efforts to establish a theological seminary were said to have been frustrated by the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n Government. During his pontificate the cathedral of Speyer was artistically frescoed by Johann Schraudolph
Johann Schraudolph
Johann Schraudolph was a German historical painter.As pupil and assistant of Heinrich Maria von Hess, he painted five scenes from the life of St. Boniface in the basilica at Munich: St. Boniface preaching; his consecration as bishop; the cutting down of Thor's oak; the anointing of Pepin; and the...
(1846-53), and the renovation of its western front was completed (1858). He founded also monasteries and orphanages and is called the rebuilder of the modern Speyer Diocese after the refoundation in the year 1817. His charity for the poor and his hospitality were legendary. Therefore the German novelist Conrad von Bolanden
Conrad von Bolanden
Conrad von Bolanden , born Joseph Eduard Konrad Bischoff, was a German prelate and novelist in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer, who wrote A Wedding Trip, Queen Bertha and Historical Tales of Frederick II....
characterized him in his novel Die Aufgeklärten, 1864, as the "landlord of the golden cross, whom call the poor their father".
The famous artist Eduard von Steinle
Eduard Von Steinle
Eduard Von Steinle was a historical painter and member of the Nazarene movement.Steinle came successively under the influence of the painters Leopold Kupelweiser, Johann Overbeck, and Peter von Cornelius, and was thus introduced into the methods of the German painters who had formed themselves...
painted the clergyman in his impressive work "Priest carries the Holy Sacrament over the mountains" with the face of his friend Nikolaus von Weis.
Bishop Nikolaus von Weis is buried in the Speyer Cathedral
Speyer Cathedral
The Speyer Cathedral, officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, in Latin: Domus sanctae Mariae Spirae in Speyer, Germany, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Bamberg. The cathedral, which is dedicated to St...
. In Speyer are named a street and two schools after him; in Landstuhl
Landstuhl
Landstuhl , literally translating as "country-throne", is a municipality of over 9,000 people in southwestern Germany. It is part of the district of Kaiserslautern, in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and is home to the Sickinger Schloss, a small castle. It is situated on the north-western edge...
a street, a school and an orphanage.