Franz Töpsl

Francis Töpsl, origin. Joachim Joseph Martin Töpsl, ( born November 18, in 1711 in Munich, † March 12, 1796 ) was a German theologian. He was from 1744 to 1796 provost of the Augustinian Canons polling and is considered one of the most important representatives of the Catholic Enlightenment in Bavaria.

Life

Joachim ( = birth name) Töpsl was the son of alderman Joseph Felix Töpsl and his wife Maria Magdalena Mayr. Töpsl visited in Munich, the Jesuit High School and graduated in 1728 his school with 17 years successfully. In the same year he entered the Augustinian Canons polling.

On October 4, 1729 he was given the profession and began to study philosophy and theology in the monastery. He later moved with these subjects at the University of Ingolstadt. 1735 ended Töpsl his studies and in the same year he was ordained a priest on April 17, 1735 in the Cathedral of Augsburg. He also adopted the religious name Francis.

Then worked as a pastor among others Töpsl in the parishes Marnbach, Deutenhausen and forestry Ried. 1741, he became the dean and thus became Deputy Provost. On April 16, 1744 he was elected to the then provost; he held until his death in this office. The blessing for he was on 20 April 1744.

Under his leadership the Canons prospered in polling. He built the monastery from a center of science. Convention members were, inter alia, Eusebius Amort, Gerhoh Steigenberger, Sebastian Seemiller and vicelin Schlogel.

Under the Töpsl Pollinger Library Hall was built from 1776 to 1779, whose collection of books grew until the secularization of approximately 80,000 volumes and thus one of the largest libraries in all of Bavaria was. On his initiative, and even an astronomical observatory was built, as well as a natural history and mineral cabinet. To spur for his confreres to be scientifically active, let Töpsl painted portraits of learned Augustinian Canons finished and hanging in the corridors of the pen. The remains of this once more than 200 portraits comprehensive Canons Gallery ( Pinacoteca Pollinger ) are due to the secularization now owned by the Archives of the Ludwig- Maximilians- University of Munich. In the years 1761-1765 the collegiate church was rebuilt in the Baroque style thanks Töpsls initiative.

The Bavarian Academy of Sciences in Munich learned by Töpsl crucial support at its inception. He worked here in 1759 along with a major Johann Georg of Lori and Andrew Felix of Oefele.

From 1774 Töpsl was also a landscape councilor of state prelate active and in 1781 he was appointed General Director for Education Bavaria and campaigned for reforms in the school system a. At the age of 85 years Provost Franz Töpsl died on the night of 11 on March 12, 1796 in the branch of the Order in Munich at a stroke.

Works

• Elenchus onomasticus scriptorum sacri et apost. Ordinis Canonicorum regul. P. Agostini ( 1762)
• Succincta information de canonia Pollingana (1760 )