Jakob Wimpfeling (25 July 1450 – 17 November 1528) was aRenaissance humanist andtheologian.
Wimpfeling was born in Schlettstadt (nowSélestat),Alsace,Lorraine. He went to the school at Schlettstadt, which was run byLudwig Dringenberg, the founder of theHumanist Library of Sélestat. In 1464 he became a student at theUniversity of Freiburg, where he received hisbaccalaureus in 1466; later he went to theUniversity of Erfurt and theUniversity of Heidelberg, where he received hismagister in 1471. He then studiedCanon law for three years, and finally theology.
In 1483, he was cathedral preacher atSpeyer. In 1498,Philip, Elector Palatine, called him to Heidelberg as professor of rhetoric and poetry. From 1500, he lived inStrasbourg, with its bishopAlbert of Palatinate-Mosbach as his patron. There he devoted himself to writing, before returning to his birthplace in 1513. At Schlettstadt a circle of pupils and admirers gathered around him. Differences of opinion onLutheranism broke up this literary society.
AfterMartin Luther'sexcommunication he took part in the attempt to prevail upon the Curia to withdraw the ban. This caused him to be suspected of having written alampoon on the Curia,Litancia pro Germania, which was probably actually written byHermann von dem Busche.
In 1521, Wimpfeling submitted to the Roman Church, of which he was ever afterwards a loyal son. In 1524 he added toJerome Emser's dialogue againstHuldrych Zwingli'sCanonis missae defensio in anopen letter to Luther and Zwingli, in which he exhorted them to examine the scriptures carefully in order to discover for themselves that theCanon of the Mass contains nothing contrary to the doctrines and customs of theearly Church. Wimpfeling then retired from the struggle, and was ridiculed by Lutherans as a renegade and a persecutor of heretics.
He died in 1528 in Schlettstadt.
Wimpfeling's literary career began with a few publications in which he urged the more frequent holding of synods, the veneration of theBlessed Virgin, and an improvement of the discipline of the clergy.
TheElegantiarum medulla (1493) is an extract fromLorenzo Valla's books on the elegance of the Latin language. In theIsidoneus germanicus (1496) he presented his pedagogical ideals, and opposedscholasticism. The teaching of grammar should lead to the reading of heathen writers who were not immoral and especially of the Christian writers. He also laid emphasis on learning the practical sciences.His most important work,Adolescentia (1500), was intended to supplementIsidoneus. Here he set forth the ethical side of his pedagogical scheme. The troubles of the Church spring from the bad training of the young; consequently, young people must be trained so as to be well-established in morals. He then discusses the details of twenty laws for young men.
He showed himself a fiery patriot in theGermanic (1501), which involved him in a feud withMurner. HisEpitome rerum germanicarum (1505) is a short history of the Germans, drawn in some particulars from other historians. In several writings he opposed abuses in the Church.
Wimpfeling bequeathed several of his books and manuscripts to theHumanist Library of Sélestat, where they are still kept today.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Jakob Wimpfeling".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
