Josef Anton Henne
Encyclopedia
Josef Anton Henne was a Swiss historian and politician active during the formative phase of the modern Swiss state
.
Henne's paternal grandparents had immigrated to Sargans from Allgäu
, Bavaria. He entered Pfävers abbey at the age of 12 and became a novice at 17, but after a period of uncertainty, he left the monastery on 22 July 1817. He was further educated at Lucerne and at the universitites of Heidelberg and Freiburg
. In 1826 he became curator of the St. Gallen Abbey Library.
In 1828, he published the first volume of a popular History of Switzerland
(covering the period up to 1400). His aim was to present counter-position to the historiography of Heinrich Zschokke
.
An open exchange between Zschokke and Henne took place in 1830, after Zschokke in his journal Schweizerboten published a damning recension of the weekly Der Freimüthige edited by Henne from 1830 to 1838.
Henne was politically active in the formative years of the canton of St. Gallen
, mediating between those requesting a pure direct democracy
and those in favour of a pure representational democracy, introducing the compromise of the facultative referendum.
Henne was president of the Catholic educational council from 1833, in which position he founded the journal Der Gärtner.
The second and third volumes of his History of Switzerland appeared in 1834 and 1835.
In 1834, Henne took the post of professor of history and geography in a new Catholic high school which had been organized according to his ideals by the canton of St. Gallen.
Over the following years, he studied early history, publishing a speculative treatise on the topic in 1837.
Tensions with the Catholic political authorities escalated in 1841, and Henne lost his post at the cantonal school. He next took the post of professor of history at the newly-founded University of Berne
, where he remained until 1855. He published two volumes of a planned world history in nine volumes in 1845.
Moving back to St. Gallen, he worked as librarian in the Abbey library until 1861.
Henne retired in June 1870 to Haslen in Appenzell
, where he died in November of the same year.
Switzerland as a federal state
The rise of Switzerland as a federal state began on September 12, 1848, with the creation of a federal constitution, which was created in response to a 27-day civil war in Switzerland, the Sonderbundskrieg...
.
Henne's paternal grandparents had immigrated to Sargans from Allgäu
Allgäu
The Allgäu is a southern German region in Swabia. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia and southeastern Baden-Württemberg. The region stretches from the prealpine lands up to the Alps...
, Bavaria. He entered Pfävers abbey at the age of 12 and became a novice at 17, but after a period of uncertainty, he left the monastery on 22 July 1817. He was further educated at Lucerne and at the universitites of Heidelberg and Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
. In 1826 he became curator of the St. Gallen Abbey Library.
In 1828, he published the first volume of a popular History of Switzerland
History of Switzerland
Since 1848, the Swiss Confederation has been a federal state of relatively autonomous cantons, some of which have a history of confederacy that goes back more than 700 years, arguably putting them among the world's oldest surviving republics. For the time before 1291, this article summarizes...
(covering the period up to 1400). His aim was to present counter-position to the historiography of Heinrich Zschokke
Heinrich Zschokke
Johann Heinrich Daniel Zschokke was a German author and reformer. Most of his life was spent, and most of his reputation earned, in Switzerland...
.
An open exchange between Zschokke and Henne took place in 1830, after Zschokke in his journal Schweizerboten published a damning recension of the weekly Der Freimüthige edited by Henne from 1830 to 1838.
Henne was politically active in the formative years of the canton of St. Gallen
Canton of St. Gallen
The Canton of St. Gallen is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of . , the population included 97,461 foreigners, or about 20.9% of the total population. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling...
, mediating between those requesting a pure direct democracy
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
and those in favour of a pure representational democracy, introducing the compromise of the facultative referendum.
Henne was president of the Catholic educational council from 1833, in which position he founded the journal Der Gärtner.
The second and third volumes of his History of Switzerland appeared in 1834 and 1835.
In 1834, Henne took the post of professor of history and geography in a new Catholic high school which had been organized according to his ideals by the canton of St. Gallen.
Over the following years, he studied early history, publishing a speculative treatise on the topic in 1837.
Tensions with the Catholic political authorities escalated in 1841, and Henne lost his post at the cantonal school. He next took the post of professor of history at the newly-founded University of Berne
University of Berne
The University of Bern is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It is a comprehensive university offering a broad choice of courses and programmes in eight faculties and some 160 institutes. The university is an...
, where he remained until 1855. He published two volumes of a planned world history in nine volumes in 1845.
Moving back to St. Gallen, he worked as librarian in the Abbey library until 1861.
Henne retired in June 1870 to Haslen in Appenzell
Appenzell
Appenzell is a region and historical canton in the northeast of Switzerland, entirely surrounded by the Canton of St. Gallen....
, where he died in November of the same year.