Jean Gamans
Encyclopedia
Jean Gamans was a German Jesuit hagiographer.
on 24 April 1623, having studied the humanities for five years and philosophy for two years at Cologne
, where he had received the degree of Master of Arts. After making his novitiate
, he devoted several months to a revision of his philosophical studies, and subsequently, from 1626, spent five years teaching in the college of Würzburg
, conducting his pupils through the five classes which comprised the complete course in humanities.
He then studied theology for a year at Mainz
(1631), after which, the houses of his province of the Upper Rhine being suppressed during the intervention by Sweden
in the Thirty Years' War
, he continued his theological studies for three years at Douai
, where he was ordained priest on 26 March 1633. These studies having come to an end in 1634, he discharged for several years the duties of chaplain to the land and naval troops in Belgium and Germany. We find him mentioned under this title (Castrensis) in the catalogue of the Flandro-Belgian province for 1641 as being attached to the professed house
at Antwerp, where he made his profession of the four vows on 26 December of the same year.
He lived here with the first two Bollandists, Jean Bolland
and Godefroid Henschen. He became an active collaborator. He was then at Baden-Baden
, where he resided for some time in order to direct the studies of the young princes of the House of Baden. He was undoubtedly there in 1641, and 1649. At the end of this latter year he resided in a missionary capacity at Ettlingen
near Karlsruhe
. Here we lose all sight of him until 1681, when he was attached to the College of Aschaffenburg near Frankfort, where he died 25 November 1684.
at the head of documents transcribed by his hand, and of commentaries written entirely by him (cf. "Bibl. des écriv. de la C. de J", sv. "Gamans").
A large number of surviving papers of this description were in the manuscript collection of the early Bollandists preserved at the Royal Library of Brussels and in the modern Bollandist library. Most of his papers, dispatched to the Bollandists after his death, were in fact lost when the vessel bearing them sank in the Main River
. Gamans had also collected a mass of material for a "Metropolis Moguntina", which he wished to compose on the model of the "Metropolis Salisburgensis" published by Hund
in 1582, and also for a history of the grand ducal House of Baden. As many as eight manuscripts of the latter work are known to exist.
Life
He entered the Society of Jesus at TrierTrier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
on 24 April 1623, having studied the humanities for five years and philosophy for two years at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, where he had received the degree of Master of Arts. After making his novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
, he devoted several months to a revision of his philosophical studies, and subsequently, from 1626, spent five years teaching in the college of Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, conducting his pupils through the five classes which comprised the complete course in humanities.
He then studied theology for a year 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...
(1631), after which, the houses of his province of the Upper Rhine being suppressed during the intervention by Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, he continued his theological studies for three years at Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
, where he was ordained priest on 26 March 1633. These studies having come to an end in 1634, he discharged for several years the duties of chaplain to the land and naval troops in Belgium and Germany. We find him mentioned under this title (Castrensis) in the catalogue of the Flandro-Belgian province for 1641 as being attached to the professed house
Professed house
In the Society of Jesus, a professed house was a residence where - in a spirit of radical poverty - no member had a stable income. The Jesuit priests who lived there, all of whom have professed the fourth vow, undertake their spiritual and pastoral ministry completely for free. With no revenues,...
at Antwerp, where he made his profession of the four vows on 26 December of the same year.
He lived here with the first two Bollandists, Jean Bolland
Jean Bolland
Jean Bolland was a Jesuit priest and prominent Southern Netherlandish hagiographer....
and Godefroid Henschen. He became an active collaborator. He was then at Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
, where he resided for some time in order to direct the studies of the young princes of the House of Baden. He was undoubtedly there in 1641, and 1649. At the end of this latter year he resided in a missionary capacity at Ettlingen
Ettlingen
Ettlingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about south of the city of Karlsruhe. Ettlingen is the second largest town in the district of Karlsruhe, after Bruchsal.-Geography:...
near Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
. Here we lose all sight of him until 1681, when he was attached to the College of Aschaffenburg near Frankfort, where he died 25 November 1684.
Works
For more than thirty years, it is stated in the death notice inserted in the Annual letters of the College of Aschaffenburg for that year, he was so immersed in the hagiographical researches which he had undertaken in behalf of his associates at Antwerp that he devoted to them even the hours of the night, taking only a short rest on the floor or a strip of matting. His name occurs often in the Acta SanctorumActa Sanctorum
Acta Sanctorum is an encyclopedic text in 68 folio volumes of documents examining the lives of Christian saints, in essence a critical hagiography, which is organised according to each saint's feast day. It begins with two January volumes, published in 1643, and ended with the Propylaeum to...
at the head of documents transcribed by his hand, and of commentaries written entirely by him (cf. "Bibl. des écriv. de la C. de J", sv. "Gamans").
A large number of surviving papers of this description were in the manuscript collection of the early Bollandists preserved at the Royal Library of Brussels and in the modern Bollandist library. Most of his papers, dispatched to the Bollandists after his death, were in fact lost when the vessel bearing them sank in the Main River
Main river
Main rivers are a statutory type of watercourse in England and Wales, usually larger streams and rivers, but also include some smaller watercourses. A main river is defined as a watercourse marked as such on a main river map, and can include any structure or appliance for controlling or regulating...
. Gamans had also collected a mass of material for a "Metropolis Moguntina", which he wished to compose on the model of the "Metropolis Salisburgensis" published by Hund
Hund
Hund is a small village in Swabi district, situated on the right bank of the Indus River about 15 km upstream of Attock Fort and at a distance of about 80 km to the east of Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, of Pakistan...
in 1582, and also for a history of the grand ducal House of Baden. As many as eight manuscripts of the latter work are known to exist.