Walcott Waldeck-Pyrmont
WALCOTT WALDECK-PYRMONT Evangelisten, and in 1730 was appointed professor extraordinarius of theology. Five years later he became professor ordinarius of logic and metaphysics; in 1759 he exchanged this for a professorship of rhetoric and poetry. Amongst other theological works he published Dissertationes in Ada Aposlolorum (1756-1761); Antlquitales symbolicae (1772); and after his death appeared Obseroationes in Matthaeum ex Graecis inscriptionibus (1779). He also published a periodical Der Naturforscher (1774- 1778), and during the years 1749-1756 took an active part in editing the Zeitungen von gelehrten Sachen.
See article in Allgemeine deutsche Biographic; also Lebensgeschichte J. E. I. Walch (Jena, 1880), and J. G. Meusel's Lexikon der verstorbenen teutschen Schriftsteller, vol. xiv.
Another son, CHRISTIAN WILHELM FRANZ (1726-1784), was educated at Jena under his father's direction, and as early as 1745-1747 lectured in the university in branches of exegesis, philosophy and history. He then travelled with his brother, J. E. I. Walch, for a year in Holland, France, Switzerland and Italy. On his return he was in 1750 made professor extraordinarius of philosophy in Jena, but in 1753 he accepted an invitation to become professor ordinarius at Gottingen. Here in 1754 he became professor extraordinarius of theology, and three years later received an ordinary professorship. He lectured on dogmatics, church history, ethics, polemics, natural theology, symbolics, the epistles of Paul, Christian antiquities, historical theological literature, ecclesiastical law and the fathers, and took an active interest in the work of the Goltinger Societal der Wissenschaften. In 1766 he was appointed professor primarius. His permanent place amongst learned theologians rests on his works on church history. Semler was much his superior in originality and boldness, and Mosheim in clearness, method and elegance. But to his wide, deep and accurate learning, to his conscientious and impartial examination of the facts and the authorities at first hand, and to " his exact quotation of the sources and works illustrating them, and careful discussion of the most minute details," all succeeding historians are indebted. His method is critical and pragmatic, " pursuing everywhere the exact facts and the supposed causes of the outward changes of history," leaving wholly out of sight the deeper moving principles and ideas which influence its course. He died on the loth of March 1784.
His principal work was his Entwurf einer vollstandigen Historic der Ketzereien, Spaltungen, und Religionsstreiligkeiten, bis auf die Zeit der Reformation (n vols., Leipzig, 1762-1785). Of his other valuable works may be mentioned Geschichle der evangelisch- lutherischen Religion, als ein Beweis, dass sie die wahre sei (1753), Entwurf einer vollstandigen Historic der romischen Papste (1756, 2nd eel. 1758; Eng. trans. 1759), Entwurf einer vollstandigen Historic der Kirchenversammlungen (1759), Grundsdtze der Kirchengeschichte des Neuen Testaments (1761, 2nd ed. 1773, 3rd ed. 1792), Bibliotheca symbolica vetus (1770), Kritische Untersuchung vom Gcbrauch der hettigen Schrijt unter den alien Christen (1779), occasioned by the controversy between G. E. Lessing and J. M. Goeze, and to which Lessing began an elaborate reply just before his death.
On C. W. F. Walch as historian see F. Baur, Epochen der kirchlichen Geschichtsschreibung (1852), p. 145 sq., and Dogmengeschichte, p. 38 sq. (1867, 3rd ed.); W. Gass, Geschichte der protestantischen Dogmatik, iii. p. 267 sq. ; J. G. Meusel, Lexicon verstorbener teutschen Schriftsteller, vol. xiv. For his life, see the article in the Allgemeine deutsche Biographic.
A third son, KARL FRIEDRICH (1734-1799), devoted himself to the study of law, and became professor of law at Jena in 1759. His most important works were Introduclio in controversias juris civilis recentioris (Jena, 1771) and Geschichle der in Deutschland geltenden Rechie (Jena, 1780). He died on the 20th of July 1799.
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
