Anton de Waal
Encyclopedia
Anton Joseph Johann Maria de Waal (5 May 1837 - 23 February 1917) was a German
Christian archeologist and Roman Catholic church historian. He established the Collegio Teutonico del Campo Santo and carried out numerous archeological excavations in Rome.
.
On 19 July 1868, de Waal became chaplain of the German National church
of Santa Maria dell'Anima
in Rome. He received his Phd in Theology on 19 February 1869. During the siege and conquest of Rome
by Italian military in 1870, de Waal volunteered chaplain of the Papal troops. He became vice-rector in 1872 and rector in 1873 of the Collegio Teutonico
in the Vatican. In 1875, he was appointed secret chamberlain of Pope Pius IX
. On 23 June 1896 Anton de Waal became prelate
to the Pontifical House and on 30 July 1900 Protonotary apostolic
. He was appointed on 2 November 1904 Commissioner of the pastoral care of all Germans in Italy.
de Waall was the recipient of the Pontifical Order of Merit "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
" in gold and several chivalric order
s: Order of the Crown (Prussia)
2d class, Order of the Red Eagle (Prussia)
2d class, Bavarian
Order of Merit of St. Michael 2d class, Commander's Cross Class I of the Albert Order
of Saxony
and Commander's Cross and Commander's star of the Imperial Austrian Franz Joseph Order
.
He died in Rome on 23 February 1917 and was buried in the Campo Santo Teutonico, cemetery reserved to German nationals next to the Church of Santa Maria della Pietà in Camposanto dei Teutonici
.
, encouraged by Giovanni Battista de Rossi
. In 1892-93 and again in 1915, de Waal carried out excavations at San Sebastiano Catacombs on the Via Appia.
In 1876 de Waal obtained from Pope Pius IX
permission to change the statutes of "" (Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows of the German and Flemish) to take care of the church of Santa Maria della Pietà in Camposanto dei Teutonici and the adjoining cemetery. He founded, in the confraternity house, the Collegio Teutonico del Campo Santo and constituted a library specialised in Christian archeology for which he put together an important collection of early Christian art.
In 1887 he founded, in cooperation with the Gorres-Gesellschaft, the journal "" (Roman quarterly magazine for Christian archeology and history of the Church) and became in 1901 co-editor with Carl Anton Baumstark of the journal "Oriens Christianus
".
In addition to his academic and pastoral work, de Waal wrote biographies in German of popes of his day (Leo XIII, Pius X and Benedict XV) as well as historical narratives and amateur theater pieces.
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
Christian archeologist and Roman Catholic church historian. He established the Collegio Teutonico del Campo Santo and carried out numerous archeological excavations in Rome.
Life
Born in Emmerich am Rhein on 5 May 1837, de Waal studied theology in Münster. He was ordained to priesthood on 11 October 1862 by Bishop Johann Georg Müller. He worked as teacher in the Collegium Augustinianum Gaesdonck, close the German city of GochGoch
Goch is a town in the district of Kleve, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated close to the border with the Netherlands, approx. 12 km south of Kleve, and 27 km southeast of Nijmegen.-Cultural ties:...
.
On 19 July 1868, de Waal became chaplain of the German National church
National churches in Rome
Charitable institutions attached to churches in Rome were founded right through the medieval period and included hospitals, hostels and others providing assistance to pilgrims to Rome from a certain "nation", which thus became these nations' national churches in Rome...
of Santa Maria dell'Anima
Santa Maria dell'Anima
Santa Maria dell'Anima is a Roman Catholic church in central Rome, Italy, just west of the Piazza Navona and near the Santa Maria della Pace church. It was the national church of the Holy Roman Empire in Rome...
in Rome. He received his Phd in Theology on 19 February 1869. During the siege and conquest of Rome
Capture of Rome
The Capture of Rome was the final event of the long process of Italian unification known as the Risorgimento, which finally unified the Italian peninsula under King Victor Emmanuel II of the House of Savoy...
by Italian military in 1870, de Waal volunteered chaplain of the Papal troops. He became vice-rector in 1872 and rector in 1873 of the Collegio Teutonico
Collegio Teutonico
The Collegio Teutonico or German College is a Roman College established and maintained at the Vatican for the education of future ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic Church of German nationality....
in the Vatican. In 1875, he was appointed secret chamberlain of Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
. On 23 June 1896 Anton de Waal became prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
to the Pontifical House and on 30 July 1900 Protonotary apostolic
Protonotary apostolic
In the Roman Catholic Church, protonotary apostolic is the title for a member of the highest non-episcopal college of prelates in the Roman Curia or, outside of Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the pope has conferred this title and its special privileges.-History:In later antiquity there were in...
. He was appointed on 2 November 1904 Commissioner of the pastoral care of all Germans in Italy.
de Waall was the recipient of the Pontifical Order of Merit "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal is an award of the Roman Catholic Church. It is also known as the "Cross of Honour". The medal was established by Leo XIII on July 17, 1888, to commemorate his golden sacerdotal jubilee and was originally bestowed on those women and men who had aided and...
" in gold and several chivalric order
Chivalric order
Chivalric orders are societies and fellowships of knights that have been created by European monarchs in imitation of the military orders of the Crusades...
s: Order of the Crown (Prussia)
Order of the Crown (Prussia)
The Order of the Crown was Prussia's lowest ranking order of chivalry. Instituted in 1861 as an award equal in rank to the Order of the Red Eagle, it could only be awarded to commissioned officers , but there was a medal associated with the order which could be earned by non-commissioned officers...
2d class, Order of the Red Eagle (Prussia)
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
2d class, Bavarian
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
Order of Merit of St. Michael 2d class, Commander's Cross Class I of the Albert Order
Albert Order
The Albert Order was created 31 December 1850 by King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to commemorate Albert III, Duke of Saxony and was to be awarded to anyone who had served the state well, for civil virtue, science and art....
of Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
and Commander's Cross and Commander's star of the Imperial Austrian Franz Joseph Order
Order of Franz Joseph
The Imperial Austrian Franz Joseph Order was founded by the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on December 2, 1849 on the first anniversary of his assumption of the Imperial Crown...
.
He died in Rome on 23 February 1917 and was buried in the Campo Santo Teutonico, cemetery reserved to German nationals next to the Church of Santa Maria della Pietà in Camposanto dei Teutonici
Church of Santa Maria della Pietà in Camposanto dei Teutonici
The Church of Our Lady of Mercy in the German Cemetery is a Roman Catholic church in the Vatican City, attached to the Campo Santo dei Teutonici e dei Fiamminghi, the German cemetery in the Vatican City...
.
Work
He devoted his scientific interest principally to Christian archaeologyChristian archaeology
Christian Archeology is the study of archaeological sites in connection to the texts of the Bible. The abundance of forgeries, fakes, and misinterpretations is rife, and as such the verification of context and the maintenance of an unbiased standpoint is essential...
, encouraged by Giovanni Battista de Rossi
Giovanni Battista de Rossi
Giovanni Battista de Rossi was an Italian archaeologist, famous outside his field for his rediscovery of early Christian catacombs.-Life and works:He was born in Rome...
. In 1892-93 and again in 1915, de Waal carried out excavations at San Sebastiano Catacombs on the Via Appia.
In 1876 de Waal obtained from Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
permission to change the statutes of "" (Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows of the German and Flemish) to take care of the church of Santa Maria della Pietà in Camposanto dei Teutonici and the adjoining cemetery. He founded, in the confraternity house, the Collegio Teutonico del Campo Santo and constituted a library specialised in Christian archeology for which he put together an important collection of early Christian art.
In 1887 he founded, in cooperation with the Gorres-Gesellschaft, the journal "" (Roman quarterly magazine for Christian archeology and history of the Church) and became in 1901 co-editor with Carl Anton Baumstark of the journal "Oriens Christianus
Oriens Christianus
Oriens Christianus is an academic journal established in 1901 by Otto Harrassowitz with Asian and Oriental Studies as the major focus. It was edited by Anton Baumstark .* First Series 1901-1911* New Series 1911-1924* Third Series 1921-1939...
".
In addition to his academic and pastoral work, de Waal wrote biographies in German of popes of his day (Leo XIII, Pius X and Benedict XV) as well as historical narratives and amateur theater pieces.
List of works
- Des Apostelfürsten Petrus glorreiche Ruhestätte. Festschrift zum Papstjubiläum Pius IX. (1871)
- Die Streiter des heiligen Vaters. Episode aus der jüngsten Geschichte der Eroberung Roms. Schauspiel in 3 Aufzügen. (1871)
- Meister Faustgerecht. Schauspiel in 3 Aufzügen. (1872)
- Erinnerungen an Rom, zunächst den deutschen Pilgern zu der 30. Jubelfeier unseres heil. Vaters Pius IX. gewidmet. (1876)
- Erinnerung an die Romfahrt zum Bischofs-Jubiläum unseres heiligen Vaters Pius IX. am 17. Mai 1877. (1877)
- Unseres heiligen Vaters Papst Leo XIII. Leben. (1878)
- Die Nationalstiftungen des deutschen Volkes in Rom. (1880)
- Valeria oder der Triumphzug aus den Katakomben (1884)
- Die Katakomben des heiligen Callistus. (1886)
- Der Rompilger. Wegweiser zu den wichtigsten Heiligthümern und Sehenswürdigkeiten der ewigen Stadt. (1888)
- Tim, der Negerknabe. Schauspiel in 3 Aufzügen. Für Gesellenvereine und ähnl. Kreise. (1889)
- Katakomben-Bilder. 6 Erzählungen aus den ersten Jahrhunderten der römischen Kirche. (1891)
- Die Apostelgruft ad Catacumbas an der Via Appia. Eine historisch-archäologische Untersuchung auf Grund der neuesten Ausgrabungen. (1894)
- 25 Jahre in Rom von 1870-1895. Ein Bild des katholischen Lebens in der deutschen Colonie. (1895)
- Der Campo Santo der Deutschen zu Rom. Geschichte der nationalen Stiftung zum 1100jährigen Jubiläum ihrer Gründung durch Karl den Großen. (1896)
- Papst Pius X. Ein Lebensbild des hl. Vaters. Mit einem Rückblick auf die letzten Tage Leos XIII. (1903)
- Roma Sacra. Die ewige Stadt in ihren christlichen Denkmälern und Erinnerungen alter und neuer Zeit. (1905)
- Konstantin des Großen Kirchenbauten in Rom. (1913)
- Der neue Papst. Unser Hl. Vater Benedikt XV. (1915)