Karl Proske

Carl Proske ( born February 11, 1794 in Gröbnig at Leobschutz, Upper Silesia, † December 20, 1861 in Regensburg ) was a German church musician, physician and clergyman.

Life and work

Carl Proske was born the son of a landowner in Gröbnig in Upper Silesia. Actually, the young Carl to take over the estate, but he changed his mind after he had finished high school in Leobschutz, he studied medicine in Vienna. But this was his only possible because of his father's second wife gave birth to a male heir to the marriage. 1813 Proske joined the war of liberation, of which he was only in 1815 returned again. A year later, Proske took his medical studies in Halle ( Saale) back to where he earned his Doctor of Medicine on June 1, 1816.

After various activities and high awards as a practicing physician, Proske gave up a brilliant career in the Prussian civil service, gave his place as a district physician in Pless and decided, at the suggestion of his future close friend and bishop of Regensburg Johann Michael Sailer to study theology in Regensburg. Proske 1826 was ordained a priest in the Regensburg Cathedral. He was the first point, a choir Vicariate at the Old Chapel in Regensburg and 1830 a canonry him by King Ludwig I was awarded at the Old Chapel. From this point on Proske devoted increasingly intense and his music studies. His goal was a " dignified facilities and entertainment of the Church's worship by removing the reprehensible and unclean and receiving the genuine and pure, by the sacredness of the liturgy must be given the most perfect attention. "

1834-1836 undertook Proske, after he had been " studiosa causa " on leave from the pen, his first trip to Italy (especially Rome and Naples), to gather with the aim of copies of classical vocal Polyphonieen of the 16th century. Although Proske had amassed an impressive library before his trip, the zealous researchers, however, so that was not satisfied and wanted to study the musical treasures on site. There followed in 1837 a second, in 1838, a third in the footsteps of the old Italian masters, among other things, it led to Bologna, Florence, Padua and Venice. 1853-1864 appeared Proske's basic four -volume work Musica Divina (conducted by Franz Xaver Haberl ), contained in the songs to all liturgical areas are ( Volume 1: 12 fairs; Band 2: motets for the entire church year, Volume 3: Polyphonic Vespers chants; band 4 posthumously: chants of Holy Week, litanies, Te Deum, etc.). Proske was supported by the former choir director of the Old Chapel Johann Georg Mette director, who also began to implement Proske's knowledge of church music restoration in the old chapel into action. Proske, as a central figure in this restoration of the Catholic church music, laid the foundation stone for the church music reform movement of the Cecilianism. His workplace, the old chapel was the starting point of the movement in the following century. Mentioned here is especially the church composer Michael Haller. Proske is also considered a pioneer of the cathedral choir. His music library includes more than 1,200 copies of works by old masters from the 15th to the 17th century and is now the Bishop of Regensburg Central Library attached.