Pius Zingerle
Encyclopedia
Pius Zingerle was an Austrian Orientalist
.
. After studying the humanities
at Meran, philosophy
and two years of theology
at Innsbruck
, he joined the Benedictines at Marienberg
in 1820, took vows, 20 October 1822, and was ordained priest, 4 April 1824. With the exception of six years (1824-7 and 1837-9) during which he was assistant pastor at Platt and at St. Martin, two parishes in the Valley of Passeier, he was professor, since 1852 also director at the gymnasium
of Meran. Upon the invitation of Pius IX, he became professor of Oriental languages at the Sapienza in Rome
in March, 1862. While in Rome he was also consultor of the Propaganda for Oriental Affairs and scriptor of the Vatican Library
.
Unable to accustom himself to the Roman climate, he returned to Marienberg in 1865, where he was made sub-prior and professor of theology. He had a fair knowledge of Hebrew
, Arabic
, and Persian
, was an acknowledged master of Syriac, and gained considerable fame through his German
versions of the writings of Saint Ephraem.
Zingerle died at the Abbey of Marienberg near Meran, 10 January, 1881.
and the Syriac (6 vols., Innsbruck, 1837; new ed., Augsburg, 1845-of which vols. IV and V are German martial versions of Ephraem's Syriac hymns, "Ephräm's Reden wider die Ketzer", in vol. XXVIII of "Sämtliche Werke der heil. Väter" (Kempten, 1859); "Harfenklänge vom Libanon" (Innsbruck, 1840); "Festkränze aus Libanon's Garten" (Dillingen, 1846); "Marien-Rosen aus Damaskus" (Innsbruck, 1853; 2nd ed., Augsburg, 1955); "Leben und Wirken des heil. Simeon Stylites" (Innsbruck, 1855); "Monumenta Syriaca ex romanis codd. collecta" (Innsbruck, 1869); "Chrestomathia Syriaca cum indice vocabularum" (Rome, 1871); "Lexicon Syriacum in usum Chrestomathiae" (Rome, 1873).
He contributed various essays on the Ephraemic metre and on the Syrian metre in general to "Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenlandischen Gesellschaft", vols. II-XIX, and other Syrian studies to "Tübinger Theol. Quartalschrift" in the years 1853 and 1870-71. He is also the author of two volumes of German poems (vol. I, Innsbruck, 1843; vol. II, Mainz, 1860) and of a few ascetical and other works of minor importance.
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
.
Life
Zingerle was born at Meran, TyrolCounty of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. After studying the humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
at Meran, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and two years of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, he joined the Benedictines at Marienberg
Marienberg
Marienberg can refer to:*Marienberg, Saxony, the capital of the Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis district of the German state of Saxony*Bad Marienberg, a town in the Westerwaldkreis of Rhineland-Palatinate...
in 1820, took vows, 20 October 1822, and was ordained priest, 4 April 1824. With the exception of six years (1824-7 and 1837-9) during which he was assistant pastor at Platt and at St. Martin, two parishes in the Valley of Passeier, he was professor, since 1852 also director at the gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
of Meran. Upon the invitation of Pius IX, he became professor of Oriental languages at the Sapienza in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in March, 1862. While in Rome he was also consultor of the Propaganda for Oriental Affairs and scriptor of the Vatican Library
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
.
Unable to accustom himself to the Roman climate, he returned to Marienberg in 1865, where he was made sub-prior and professor of theology. He had a fair knowledge of Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, and Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, was an acknowledged master of Syriac, and gained considerable fame through his German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
versions of the writings of Saint Ephraem.
Zingerle died at the Abbey of Marienberg near Meran, 10 January, 1881.
Works
The following are his chief works: "Echte Akten heiliger Martyrer des Morgenlandes" , translated from the Syriac (2 vols., Innsbruck, 1836); "Ausgewählte Schriften des heiligen Ephräm", translated from the GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and the Syriac (6 vols., Innsbruck, 1837; new ed., Augsburg, 1845-of which vols. IV and V are German martial versions of Ephraem's Syriac hymns, "Ephräm's Reden wider die Ketzer", in vol. XXVIII of "Sämtliche Werke der heil. Väter" (Kempten, 1859); "Harfenklänge vom Libanon" (Innsbruck, 1840); "Festkränze aus Libanon's Garten" (Dillingen, 1846); "Marien-Rosen aus Damaskus" (Innsbruck, 1853; 2nd ed., Augsburg, 1955); "Leben und Wirken des heil. Simeon Stylites" (Innsbruck, 1855); "Monumenta Syriaca ex romanis codd. collecta" (Innsbruck, 1869); "Chrestomathia Syriaca cum indice vocabularum" (Rome, 1871); "Lexicon Syriacum in usum Chrestomathiae" (Rome, 1873).
He contributed various essays on the Ephraemic metre and on the Syrian metre in general to "Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenlandischen Gesellschaft", vols. II-XIX, and other Syrian studies to "Tübinger Theol. Quartalschrift" in the years 1853 and 1870-71. He is also the author of two volumes of German poems (vol. I, Innsbruck, 1843; vol. II, Mainz, 1860) and of a few ascetical and other works of minor importance.