Carlos Sommervogel
Encyclopedia
Carlos Sommervogel was a French
Jesuit scholar. He was author of the monumental Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, which served as one of the major references for the editors of the Catholic Encyclopedia
.
Born in Strasbourg
, Sommervogel was the fourth son of Marie-Maximillian-Joseph Sommervogel and Hortense Blanchard. After studying at the lycée of Strasbourg
, he entered the Jesuit novitiate
at Issenheim
, Alsace
, 2 February 1853, and was sent later to Saint-Acheul
, Amiens
, to complete his literary studies.
In 1856, he was appointed assistant prefect of discipline and sub-librarian in the College of the Immaculate Conception
, Rue Vaugirard, Paris. Here he discovered his literary vocation. The Bibliothèque of Augustin
and Aloys de Backer was then in course of publication, and Sommervogel, noting its occasional errors and omissions, made a systematic examination of the whole work.
Four years later, Augustin de Backer
, seeing his list of addenda and errata, a manuscript of 800 pages, containing over 10,000 entries, obtained leave to make use of it. Sommervogel continued at Rue Vaugirard until 1865, reviewing his course of philosophy meanwhile.
He then studied theology at Amiens
, where he was ordained in September, 1866. From 1867 until 1879 he was one of the staff on the Jesuit publication Études, being managing editor from 1871 to 1879. During the Franco-Prussian war
he served as chaplain
in Faidherbe
's army, and was decorated in 1871 with a bronze medal for his self-sacrifice.
Fr. de Backer in the revised edition of his Bibliothèque (1869-76) gave Sommervogel's name as co-author, due to the latter's significant contributions.
From 1880 to 1882 Sommervogel was assistant to his father-provincial.
Before 1882 he had never had any special opportunity of pursuing his study; all his bibliographical work had been done in his spare moments. In 1884 he published his Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes et pseudonymes publiés par des religieux de la Compagnie de Jésus. In 1885 he was appointed successor to the de Backers and went to Louvain
. He determined to recast and enlarge their work and after five years issued the first volume of the first part (Brussels
and Paris, 1890); by 1900 the ninth volume had appeared; the tenth, an index of the first nine, which comprised the bibliographic part of the Bibliothèque was unfinished at the time of his death but was later completed by Fr. Brucker, from which these details were drawn.
Sommervogel had intended to compile a second, or historical part of his work, which was to be a revision of Auguste Carayon
's Bibliographie historique. He was a man of exemplary virtue, giving freely to all the fruit of his devoted labours, and content to live for years a busy obscure life to which duty called him, until his superiors directed him to devote himself to his favorite study during the last fifteen years of his life. He re-edited a number of works by old writers of the Society of Jesus and, in addition to his articles in the Études, wrote Table methodique des Mémoires de Trévoux (3 vols., 1885); Moniteur bibliographique de la Compagnie de Jésus (1894-1901).
Sommervogel died in Paris in 1902.
Liège 1869-1876
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Jesuit scholar. He was author of the monumental Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, which served as one of the major references for the editors of the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
.
Born in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, Sommervogel was the fourth son of Marie-Maximillian-Joseph Sommervogel and Hortense Blanchard. After studying at the lycée of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, he entered the Jesuit 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....
at Issenheim
Issenheim
Issenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The Isenheim Altarpiece, currently on display at the Unterlinden Museum of Colmar, was completed in 1515 by Matthias Grünewald for a local monastery.-References:*...
, Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, 2 February 1853, and was sent later to Saint-Acheul
Saint-Acheul
Saint-Acheul is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France. It is not to be confused with Saint-Acheul, a suburb of Amiens after which the Acheulean archaeological culture of the Lower Paleolithic is named.-Geography:...
, Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, to complete his literary studies.
In 1856, he was appointed assistant prefect of discipline and sub-librarian in the College of the Immaculate Conception
College of the Immaculate Conception
College of the Immaculate Conception may refer to:*The College of the Immaculate Conception in New Orleans, Louisiana*The Saint Mary's College, Trinidad and Tobago, also known as Saint Mary's College, in Trinidad and Tobago...
, Rue Vaugirard, Paris. Here he discovered his literary vocation. The Bibliothèque of Augustin
Augustin de Backer
Augustin de Backer was a Belgian Jesuit and renowned bibliographer.-Early years and Formation:...
and Aloys de Backer was then in course of publication, and Sommervogel, noting its occasional errors and omissions, made a systematic examination of the whole work.
Four years later, Augustin de Backer
Augustin de Backer
Augustin de Backer was a Belgian Jesuit and renowned bibliographer.-Early years and Formation:...
, seeing his list of addenda and errata, a manuscript of 800 pages, containing over 10,000 entries, obtained leave to make use of it. Sommervogel continued at Rue Vaugirard until 1865, reviewing his course of philosophy meanwhile.
He then studied theology at Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, where he was ordained in September, 1866. From 1867 until 1879 he was one of the staff on the Jesuit publication Études, being managing editor from 1871 to 1879. During the Franco-Prussian war
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
he served as chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in Faidherbe
Louis Faidherbe
Louis Léon César Faidherbe was a French general and colonial administrator. He created the Senegalese Tirailleurs when he was governor of Senegal.- Background :...
's army, and was decorated in 1871 with a bronze medal for his self-sacrifice.
Fr. de Backer in the revised edition of his Bibliothèque (1869-76) gave Sommervogel's name as co-author, due to the latter's significant contributions.
From 1880 to 1882 Sommervogel was assistant to his father-provincial.
Before 1882 he had never had any special opportunity of pursuing his study; all his bibliographical work had been done in his spare moments. In 1884 he published his Dictionnaire des ouvrages anonymes et pseudonymes publiés par des religieux de la Compagnie de Jésus. In 1885 he was appointed successor to the de Backers and went to Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
. He determined to recast and enlarge their work and after five years issued the first volume of the first part (Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Paris, 1890); by 1900 the ninth volume had appeared; the tenth, an index of the first nine, which comprised the bibliographic part of the Bibliothèque was unfinished at the time of his death but was later completed by Fr. Brucker, from which these details were drawn.
Sommervogel had intended to compile a second, or historical part of his work, which was to be a revision of Auguste Carayon
Auguste Carayon
Auguste Carayon was a French Jesuit author and bibliographer.He was born in Saumur, France in 1813; he joined the Society of Jesus in 1848, and was at various times librarian and procurator...
's Bibliographie historique. He was a man of exemplary virtue, giving freely to all the fruit of his devoted labours, and content to live for years a busy obscure life to which duty called him, until his superiors directed him to devote himself to his favorite study during the last fifteen years of his life. He re-edited a number of works by old writers of the Society of Jesus and, in addition to his articles in the Études, wrote Table methodique des Mémoires de Trévoux (3 vols., 1885); Moniteur bibliographique de la Compagnie de Jésus (1894-1901).
Sommervogel died in Paris in 1902.
External links
"http://gallica.bnf.fr/Search?ArianeWireIndex=index&p=1&lang=en&q=%22Sommervogel,+Carlos%22" Carlos Sommervogel - Augustin de Backer: Bibliothèque des écrivains de la Compagnie de Jésus...Liège 1869-1876