Joseph König

Theologian and exegete, born at Hausen on the Aach, District of Hegau, Grand Duchy of Baden, 7 Sept., 1819; died at Freigburg im Breisgau, 22 June, 1900. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1845. In 1847 König was privatdozent, in 1854 extraordinary, and from 1857 to 1894 ordinary, professor of Old Testament literature and exegesis at the University of Freiburg. On the expiration of this term he resigned his professorship. König’s exegetical writings include: “Die Unsterblichkeitsidee im Buche Job” (1855); “Die Theologie der Psalmen” (1857), regarded by many as his ablest work; “Das alttest. Königtum” (programme, 1863); “Alter u. Entstehung des Pentateuchs” (pro-rectoral discourse, 1884). The editorship of the “Freiburger Diözesan-Archiv” was entrusted to König, and his period of office witnessed many notable contributions to the history of the great abbeys and civilization centres of Reichenau, St. Gall, and Fulda, several of which were from his own pen. He was highly commended for research work in diocesan history, but it is chiefly in connection with the University of Freiburg, to the history of which institution König contributed many notable studies (see e g. “Freiburger Diözesan-Archiv”, XXI and XXII), that he is remembered. During the years 1885 to 1889 König’s activity was centred mainly on the “Necrologium Frib.”, a record of the period 1827-87.