Born in Bouxwiller in Alsace on 9 May 1737, the eighth of eleven children to councillor Johann Reinhard and his wife Susanna Felischmann, he attended the local school there before his parents moved to Strasbourg in 1750, where he spent two years at the protestant school. He then enrolled to study philosophy at the University of Strasbourg. He spent time studying history, encouraged by the teacher Johann Daniel Schöpflin. After three years he transferred to the law department and in June 1759 he graduated as a licenciate in law. In mid-1762 he defended his thesis "De collatione dignitatum et beneficiorum ecclesiasticorum" which had to do with disputes in church law. In the same year he went to Paris where he stayed with his uncle, improved his command of the French language, visited Paris libraries and came in contact with French liberal intellectuals. Many of his later publications were in French.
Academic lifeedit
On returning to Strasbourg he helped Schöpflin to prepare "Alsatia diplomatica", and became assistant to Schöpflin when Andreas Lamey (1726-1802) moved to Mannheim. This was the springboard for Koch's academic career in history and public law. Koch's father had died in 1755 and when Koch's mother also died, in 1767, Koch was taken in as part of the Schöpflin household, where he stayed until Schöpflin's death in 1771. In 1772 he was given a lecturership to the University. In his will, Schöpflin had endowed the city of Strasbourg with his library and Koch also became the librarian. In 1773 Koch was awarded the title of doctor of philosophy for his services to teaching and in 1776 the title of doctor of laws. In 1777, together with his oldest and youngest brothers, he was raised to the peerage by Kaiser Joseph II. He declined a lucrative offer to move to the University of Göttingen. Travelling extensively in Germany, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands, he gained access to libraries and archives and made contact with intellectuals and prominent public figures.
In 1780 he published his "Tables généalogiques des maisons souveraines de l'Europe" on the family trees of European monarchs and in 1790 he published the two-volume "Tableau des révolutions de l'Europe dans le moyen âge" on political upheavals in the European middle ages.
French revolutionedit
The French Revolution of 1789 tore Koch temporarily away from teaching and writing. As leader of the diplomatic mission to Paris, he successfully argued for the protection of Alsacian protestant property against appropriation by the state, citing the treaties of the Peace of Westphalia of 1648. Trusted by the French, he became a member of the French Assemblée nationale in 1791 and, back in Strasbourg, he was incarcerated for several months during the Jacobin Terror. In 1796 his encyclopaedic "Abrégé de l'histoir des traités de paix entre les puissances de l'Europe" appeared cataloguing all of the peace treaties between the major central European powers since the Treaties of Westphalia in 1648. In 1804 he was appointed member of the Legion of Honour by Napoleon Bonaparte, attending Napoleon's coronation later that year. Koch served on the French Napoleonic Tribunat council from 1802 until its dissolution in 1807, applying himself among other things to re-establishing the protestant university in Strasbourg.
His later years were devoted to writing, university teaching and to his membership of scholarly societies. In 1809 he became Dean of the St Thomas Seminary in Strasbourg and in 1810 a board member of the Assembly of Augsburg Confession Churches. In summer 1813 he fell ill and died on 24 October that year, five days after the Battle of Leipzig, aged 76. He never married. His neo-classical memorial is in St Thomas's Church, Strasbourg. It was designed by Landolin Ohmacht and constructed in 1816, three years after Koch's death. The city's archivist and historian, Louis Schneegans (1812–1858), described it:
At the base, on a kind of altar, is a bust of the scholarly professor, more than life size. At the base of the pedestal, on a rock, sits a personification of the city of Strasbourg as a young and vigorous woman, [ancient] Greek in proportion and costume, who is presenting a civic crown of oak leaves to the citizen, the distinguished and honest scholar and the civil servant, whose loss was mourned by all.[1]
Influenceedit
Koch was a popular and inspiring teacher who quickly established himself at the University of Strasbourg in the years following 1770. His pupils included Goethe, Montgelas, Metternich and Louis-Guillaume Otto. The times in which he lived were marked as much by the idealism of the European enlightenment as by the hardship and uncertainty of war. Koch bridged the culture gaps between the Germanic and the French as well as between the absolutist and the liberal. The new Napoleonic written constitutions of many of the member states of the Confederation of the Rhine were influenced by Koch.
Books by Christoph Wilhelm Kochedit
Tables généalogiques des maisons souveraines de l'Europe, 1780
Tableau des révolutions de l'Europe dans le moyen âge, 2 vol., 1790
Abrégé de l'histoir des traités de paix entre les puissances de l'Europe, 4 vol. 1796
Tableau des révolutions de l'Europe depuis le bouleversement de l'Empire Romain en Occident jusqu' à nos jours, 3 vol. 1807
Journal articles by Christoph Wilhelm Kochedit
Mémoire sur la société littéraire que Jacques Wimpfeling avait fondée à Strasbourg vers la fin du XV. siècle, in Mémoires de la classe des sciences historiques et politiques de l’Institut
Sources and further readingedit
Franck, Jakob, Koch, Christoph Wilhelm von, Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (1882), pp 371–373 (online)
Friedrich Buech, Christoph Wilhelm Koch (1737–1813). Der letzte Rechtslehrer der alten Straßburger Hochschule. Ein Bild aus dem elsässischen Gelehrtenleben. In: Schriften des Wissenschaftlichen Instituts der Elsaß-Lothringer im Reich an der Universität Frankfurt. Neue Folge, Band 17, Frankfurt 1936.
Fuchs, Joseph, Koch, Christoph Wilhelm Edler von, Neue Deutsche Biographie 12 (1979), pp 260–261 (online)
Bernhard Koerner (Ed.), Genealogisches Handbuch Bürgerlicher Familien. Band 9, Berlin 1902.
Eberhard Weis, Montgelas. 1759-1799. Zwischen Revolution und Reform. München 1971.
Briefe Conrad Reinhard von Kochs (letters of Conrad Reinhard von Koch), Stadtarchiv Teublitz (Teublitz city archive).
Koch's grave monument
Referencesedit
^Louis Schneegans, « Du monument de Koch », L' église de Saint-Thomas à Strasbourg, et ses monuments : ornée de cinq gravures, 1842 [1]
January 01, 1970
christoph, wilhelm, koch, french, christophe, guillaume, koch, 1737, october, 1813, strasbourg, from, 1777, edler, koch, protestant, diplomat, politician, librarian, writer, from, alsace, also, taught, constitutional, history, pupils, included, johann, wolfgan. Christoph Wilhelm von Koch French Christophe Guillaume Koch 9 May 1737 25 October 1813 Strasbourg from 1777 Edler von Koch was a Protestant diplomat politician librarian and writer from Alsace who also taught constitutional law and history His pupils included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Maximilian von Montgelas Klemens von Metternich and Louis Guillaume Otto Christoph Wilhelm Koch Oil painting presently owned by the diocese of St Thomas Strasbourg Contents 1 Early life 2 Academic life 3 French revolution 4 Later life 5 Influence 6 Books by Christoph Wilhelm Koch 7 Journal articles by Christoph Wilhelm Koch 8 Sources and further reading 9 ReferencesEarly life editBorn in Bouxwiller in Alsace on 9 May 1737 the eighth of eleven children to councillor Johann Reinhard and his wife Susanna Felischmann he attended the local school there before his parents moved to Strasbourg in 1750 where he spent two years at the protestant school He then enrolled to study philosophy at the University of Strasbourg He spent time studying history encouraged by the teacher Johann Daniel Schopflin After three years he transferred to the law department and in June 1759 he graduated as a licenciate in law In mid 1762 he defended his thesis De collatione dignitatum et beneficiorum ecclesiasticorum which had to do with disputes in church law In the same year he went to Paris where he stayed with his uncle improved his command of the French language visited Paris libraries and came in contact with French liberal intellectuals Many of his later publications were in French Academic life editOn returning to Strasbourg he helped Schopflin to prepare Alsatia diplomatica and became assistant to Schopflin when Andreas Lamey 1726 1802 moved to Mannheim This was the springboard for Koch s academic career in history and public law Koch s father had died in 1755 and when Koch s mother also died in 1767 Koch was taken in as part of the Schopflin household where he stayed until Schopflin s death in 1771 In 1772 he was given a lecturership to the University In his will Schopflin had endowed the city of Strasbourg with his library and Koch also became the librarian In 1773 Koch was awarded the title of doctor of philosophy for his services to teaching and in 1776 the title of doctor of laws In 1777 together with his oldest and youngest brothers he was raised to the peerage by Kaiser Joseph II He declined a lucrative offer to move to the University of Gottingen Travelling extensively in Germany France Switzerland and the Netherlands he gained access to libraries and archives and made contact with intellectuals and prominent public figures In 1780 he published his Tables genealogiques des maisons souveraines de l Europe on the family trees of European monarchs and in 1790 he published the two volume Tableau des revolutions de l Europe dans le moyen age on political upheavals in the European middle ages French revolution editThe French Revolution of 1789 tore Koch temporarily away from teaching and writing As leader of the diplomatic mission to Paris he successfully argued for the protection of Alsacian protestant property against appropriation by the state citing the treaties of the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 Trusted by the French he became a member of the French Assemblee nationale in 1791 and back in Strasbourg he was incarcerated for several months during the Jacobin Terror In 1796 his encyclopaedic Abrege de l histoir des traites de paix entre les puissances de l Europe appeared cataloguing all of the peace treaties between the major central European powers since the Treaties of Westphalia in 1648 In 1804 he was appointed member of the Legion of Honour by Napoleon Bonaparte attending Napoleon s coronation later that year Koch served on the French Napoleonic Tribunat council from 1802 until its dissolution in 1807 applying himself among other things to re establishing the protestant university in Strasbourg Later life edit nbsp Memorial in the St Thomas Strasbourg by Landolin Ohmacht His later years were devoted to writing university teaching and to his membership of scholarly societies In 1809 he became Dean of the St Thomas Seminary in Strasbourg and in 1810 a board member of the Assembly of Augsburg Confession Churches In summer 1813 he fell ill and died on 24 October that year five days after the Battle of Leipzig aged 76 He never married His neo classical memorial is in St Thomas s Church Strasbourg It was designed by Landolin Ohmacht and constructed in 1816 three years after Koch s death The city s archivist and historian Louis Schneegans 1812 1858 described it At the base on a kind of altar is a bust of the scholarly professor more than life size At the base of the pedestal on a rock sits a personification of the city of Strasbourg as a young and vigorous woman ancient Greek in proportion and costume who is presenting a civic crown of oak leaves to the citizen the distinguished and honest scholar and the civil servant whose loss was mourned by all 1 Influence editKoch was a popular and inspiring teacher who quickly established himself at the University of Strasbourg in the years following 1770 His pupils included Goethe Montgelas Metternich and Louis Guillaume Otto The times in which he lived were marked as much by the idealism of the European enlightenment as by the hardship and uncertainty of war Koch bridged the culture gaps between the Germanic and the French as well as between the absolutist and the liberal The new Napoleonic written constitutions of many of the member states of the Confederation of the Rhine were influenced by Koch Books by Christoph Wilhelm Koch editTables genealogiques des maisons souveraines de l Europe 1780 Tableau des revolutions de l Europe dans le moyen age 2 vol 1790 Abrege de l histoir des traites de paix entre les puissances de l Europe 4 vol 1796 Tableau des revolutions de l Europe depuis le bouleversement de l Empire Romain en Occident jusqu a nos jours 3 vol 1807Journal articles by Christoph Wilhelm Koch editMemoire sur la societe litteraire que Jacques Wimpfeling avait fondee a Strasbourg vers la fin du XV siecle in Memoires de la classe des sciences historiques et politiques de l InstitutSources and further reading editFranck Jakob Koch Christoph Wilhelm von Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 1882 pp 371 373 online Friedrich Buech Christoph Wilhelm Koch 1737 1813 Der letzte Rechtslehrer der alten Strassburger Hochschule Ein Bild aus dem elsassischen Gelehrtenleben In Schriften des Wissenschaftlichen Instituts der Elsass Lothringer im Reich an der Universitat Frankfurt Neue Folge Band 17 Frankfurt 1936 Fuchs Joseph Koch Christoph Wilhelm Edler von Neue Deutsche Biographie 12 1979 pp 260 261 online Bernhard Koerner Ed Genealogisches Handbuch Burgerlicher Familien Band 9 Berlin 1902 Eberhard Weis Montgelas 1759 1799 Zwischen Revolution und Reform Munchen 1971 Briefe Conrad Reinhard von Kochs letters of Conrad Reinhard von Koch Stadtarchiv Teublitz Teublitz city archive Koch s grave monumentReferences edit Louis Schneegans Du monument de Koch L eglise de Saint Thomas a Strasbourg et ses monuments ornee de cinq gravures 1842 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Christoph Wilhelm von Koch amp oldid 1145165478, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
