Theodore Scherer-Boccard
Encyclopedia
Theodore, Count von Scherer-Boccard (b. at Dornach
in the canton of Solothurn
, 12 May 1816; d. at Solothurn
, 6 February 1885) was a Swiss journalist
and politician.
. He attended the gymnasium
of this city, took the philosophical course at the lyceum of the same place, and then studied law at the Athenäum conducted by the Jesuits at Fribourg
.
After this he returned to Solothurn and devoted himself to journalism
, founding the newspaper Die Schildwache am Jura (1836–41), in which he defended the Catholic Church and the rights of the people. In addition to this he established in 1839 a bureau of correspondence with conservative tendencies.
From 1838 he was also a member of the great council of the canton
. His political activity in this body brought him into conflict with the Government and obliged him in 1841 to live abroad for some time in Alsace
and Paris
. At the close of 1841 he was called to Lucerne
where he *founded and edited the Staatszeitung der katholischen Schweiz, which became the chief organ of the Catholic-Conservative party.
In 1843 he returned to Solothurn and served out a term of imprisonment to which he had been condemned on account of the events of 1841. In 1845 he was made secretary to Magistrate Siegwart-Muller of Lucerne, who was the president of the Sonderbund
. Scherer himself had a share also in the founding of the Sonderbund. After the war of the Sonderbund he returned to private life at Solothurn, where he devoted himself to labors on behalf of Catholic interests and of social subjects. He did much journalistic work, being a contributor to numerous Catholic journals of Switzerland and Germany. During a visit to Rome in 1852 he was made a Roman count by Pope Pius IX
.
From 1855 he lived in the small castle of Hunenberg
near Lucerne. In 1868 he married Marie Louise von Boccard, and after that used the double name Scherer-Boccard. In 1844 Scherer founded the Academy of St. Charles Borromeo, an association of the Catholic scholars of Switzerland, and edited as the organ of the association a journal called "Katholische Annalen" (Lucerne, 1847); the war of the "Sonderbund" put an end to this periodical and to the academy also. In 1857 he was one of the founders of the Swiss Pius Association (Piusverein
), and from the time the society was established until his death he was the president of the central organization; he was also the head of the Society for Home Missions, founded in 1863. He was in touch with the Catholics of Germany and spoke repeatedly at the German-Catholic congresses.
He was also one of the editors of the "Archiv für schweizerische Reformationsgeschichte" (3 vols., Fribourg, 1869–75).
Dornach
Dornach is a municipality in the district of Dorneck in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.-History:Dornach is first mentioned in 1223 as de Tornacho. In 1307 it was mentioned as zu Dornach...
in the canton of Solothurn
Canton of Solothurn
Solothurn is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn.-History:The territory of the canton comprises land acquired by the capital...
, 12 May 1816; d. at Solothurn
Solothurn
The city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
, 6 February 1885) was a Swiss journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and politician.
Life
Theodore Scherer belonged to a distinguished family of SolothurnSolothurn
The city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
. He attended 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 this city, took the philosophical course at the lyceum of the same place, and then studied law at the Athenäum conducted by the Jesuits at Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
.
After this he returned to Solothurn and devoted himself to journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, founding the newspaper Die Schildwache am Jura (1836–41), in which he defended the Catholic Church and the rights of the people. In addition to this he established in 1839 a bureau of correspondence with conservative tendencies.
From 1838 he was also a member of the great council of the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
. His political activity in this body brought him into conflict with the Government and obliged him in 1841 to live abroad for some time in 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...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. At the close of 1841 he was called to Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
where he *founded and edited the Staatszeitung der katholischen Schweiz, which became the chief organ of the Catholic-Conservative party.
In 1843 he returned to Solothurn and served out a term of imprisonment to which he had been condemned on account of the events of 1841. In 1845 he was made secretary to Magistrate Siegwart-Muller of Lucerne, who was the president of the Sonderbund
Sonderbund
The Sonderbund War of November 1847 was a civil war in Switzerland. It ensued after seven Catholic cantons formed the Sonderbund in 1845 in order to protect their interests against a centralization of power...
. Scherer himself had a share also in the founding of the Sonderbund. After the war of the Sonderbund he returned to private life at Solothurn, where he devoted himself to labors on behalf of Catholic interests and of social subjects. He did much journalistic work, being a contributor to numerous Catholic journals of Switzerland and Germany. During a visit to Rome in 1852 he was made a Roman count by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
.
From 1855 he lived in the small castle of Hunenberg
Hünenberg
Hünenberg is a municipality in the canton of Zug in Switzerland.-History:Hünenberg is first mentioned in 1173 as de Hunberg, though this document is considered a forgery. In 1185 it was mentioned as de Hunoberg and in 1239 as de Hunaberc....
near Lucerne. In 1868 he married Marie Louise von Boccard, and after that used the double name Scherer-Boccard. In 1844 Scherer founded the Academy of St. Charles Borromeo, an association of the Catholic scholars of Switzerland, and edited as the organ of the association a journal called "Katholische Annalen" (Lucerne, 1847); the war of the "Sonderbund" put an end to this periodical and to the academy also. In 1857 he was one of the founders of the Swiss Pius Association (Piusverein
Piusverein
The Piusverein was a Roman Catholic society, founded in 1848 in Germany, and named for Pope Pius IX. Its political direction was conservative and ultramontanist, and its purpose to form a bridge between Catholics and the political classes...
), and from the time the society was established until his death he was the president of the central organization; he was also the head of the Society for Home Missions, founded in 1863. He was in touch with the Catholics of Germany and spoke repeatedly at the German-Catholic congresses.
Works
Scherer-Boccard issued thirty-five separate publications, containing apologetic, biographical, or historical matter. They included:- "Revolution und Restauration der Staatswissenschaft" (Augsburg and Lucerne, 1842, 2nd ed., 1845);
- "Die fünfzehnjahrige Fehde der Revolution gegen die katholische Schweiz 1830-45" (Lucerne, 1846);
- "Das Verhältniss zwischen Kirche und Staat" (Ratisbon, 1846, 2nd ed., 1854);
- "Die Reformbewegung unserer Zeit und das Christenthum" (Augsburg, 1848);
- "Der heilige Vater. Betrachtungen über die Mission und die Verdienste des Papstthums" (Munich, 1850), French tr., "Le Saint-Père. Considérations sur la mission et les mérites de la Papauté" (Paris, 1853);
- "Heidenthum und Christenthum betrachtet in den Monumenten des alten und neuen Roms" (Schaffhausen, 1853, 2nd ed., 1880)
- "Lebensbilder aus der Gesellschaft Jesu. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der katholischen Restauration" (Schaffhausen, 1854).
He was also one of the editors of the "Archiv für schweizerische Reformationsgeschichte" (3 vols., Fribourg, 1869–75).