Movers, Franz Karl
Movers, Franz Karl
Exegete and Orientalist, b. at Koesfeld, Westphalia, 17 July, 1806; d. at Breslau, 28 Sept., 1856. He attended the gymnasium of his native town, and from 1822 to 1825 the gymnasium at Münster. The next four years he studied at the academy of Münster, taking up philosophy, theology, and especially Oriental languages under Laurenz Reinke. In the autumn of 1829 he was ordained priest at Paderborn, and then continued his Oriental studies for a short time at the University of Bonn. After that he remained as tutor for several years with Baron von Geyr at Rath, near Deutz. In 1833 he became pastor at Berkum, near Bonn, in 1839 extraordinary professor, of Old-Testament exegesis at the University of Breslau, and in 1842 ordinary professor at the same university.
In the field of exegesis Movers published the following works: “Kritische Untersuchungen über die biblische Chronik, ein Beitrag zur Einleitung in das Alte Testament” (Bonn, 1834); “De utriusque recensionis Vaticiniorum Jeremiae, Graece Alexandrinae et Hebraicae masorethicae, indole et origine Commentatio critica” (Hamburg, 1837); “Loci quidam historiae canonis Veteris Testamenti illustrati, Commentatio critica” (Breslau, 1842); and various essays which appeared in theological magazines, especially in “Zeitschrift fü Philosophie und katholische Theologie,” published at Bonn. The first edition of the “Kirchenlexicon” contains a number of articles by him.
Movers showed great scholarship as an Orientalist and performed large and lasting services by his studies of the ancient Phönicians. His chief work, “Die Phönizier,” though never completed, is still an important contribution to the subject. It appeared in parts under separate titles, as follows: Vol. I, “Untersuchungen Ueber die Religion und die Gottheiten der Phönizier, mit Rücksicht auf die verwandten Culte der Carthager, Syrer, Babylonier, Assyrer, der Hebraeer und der Aegypter” (Bonn, 1841); vol. II, “Das phönizische Alterthum” in three parts, part I, Politische Geschichte und Staatsverfassung” (Berlin, 1849); part II, “Geschichte der Colonien” (Berlin, 1850); part III, first half, “Handel und Schifffahrt” (Berlin, 1856). Movers gave a shorter compendium of the results of his researches in his article “Phönizien” in “Allgemeine Encyklopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste” (1848), section III, part XXIV, pp. 319-443. In addition to briefer essays appearing in magazines, Movers published “Phönizische Texte erklärt” (Breslau, 1845 and 1847), part I, “Die punischen Texte im Poenulus des Plautus kritisch gewuerdigt und erklaert”; part II, “Das Opferwesen der Carthager, Commentar zur Opfertafel von Marseille.” Another work to be mentioned is “Denkschrift über den Zustand der katholisch-theologischen Facultät an der Universität zu Breslau seit der Vereinigung der Breslauer und Frankfurter Universität bis auf die Gegenwart” (Leipzig, 1845).
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RASSMANN, Nachrichten von dem Leben und den Schriften Münsterlaendischer Schriftsteller (Münster, 1866), 223 sq.; REUSCH in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, XXII, 417 sq.; WERNER, Geschichte der katholischen Theologie (Munich, 1866), 544-46; WERNER, Geschichte der apologetischen und polemischen Literatur (Schaffhausen, 1867), V, 442-52.
FRIEDRICH LAUCHERT Transcribed by John Fobian In memory of Edith Wenzel Fobian
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XCopyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Movers, Franz Karl
a German Roman Catholic theologian and Orientalist, was born, of humble but honorable parentage, at Kosfeld, Rhenish Prussia, July 17, 1806. Franz Karl studied Orientalia and theology at Minster; was ordained priest; in 1830 became vicar at Rath, near Deutz; in 1833 priest at Berkum, near Godesberg, and there remained until 1839, when he was appointed professor of Old-Testament theology in the Roman Catholic faculty of Breslau University, which office he held till his death, Sept. 28,1856. His principal work, Die Phonizier, presents a comprehensive view of Phoenician history. The first volume (Breslau, 1840) treats of the religion and the divinities of the Phoenicians; the second volume bears the title of Das Phonizische Alterthum, and is divided into parts, embracing the political history (1849) and the colonial history (1850) of that nation. He further enriched this field of knowledge by the publication of two volumes of Phoenician texts (1845-47), and wrote the article Phonicier for Ersch u. Gruber’s Encyklopadie ( 3, volume 24). Among his other works worth mentioning are, Kritische Untersuchungen i. d. Alttestamentliche Chronik (Bonn, 1834): De utriusque recensionis vaticiniorum Jeremiae indole et origine (Hamb. 1837): Loci quidam historie Veteris Testamenti illustrati (Bresl. 1843): Zustand der katholisch-theol. Facultat an der Universitat Brieslau (1847). He was also a frequent and esteemed contributor to the periodical literature of Germany, especially the philosophical and theological quarterlies; among which that of his own Church, the Zeitschriftfur Philosoph. u. Katholische Theologie, enjoyed a very large number of valuable articles. (J.H.W.)