Franz von Löher

Franz Löher (from 1866 Löher; * October 15, 1818 in Paderborn, † 1 March 1892 in Munich) was a Democratic politician during the Revolution of 1848/ 49, a lawyer and historian.

Life and work

Löher was born the son of a butcher and attended high school in Paderborn Theodorianum. He then studied medicine in Halle since 1838 moved to Löher jurisprudence. In Halle he became a member of Corps Borussia. He first studied further in Halle and later went to Freiburg and Munich. This period also traveled extensively, inter alia, in Switzerland, France and northern Italy. He graduated in 1841 from the first state examination in Berlin. Then he did a legal internship at the higher regional court in Paderborn to legal examination in 1845. Afterwards he was clerk at the Municipal Court in Paderborn. There Löher engaged intensively for the History and Antiquities club. During this time he made ​​a name as a writer of political and legal history essays. As he wrote in 1845 about the " princes and cities at the time of Hohenstaufen " ( as an introduction to a "history of civic freedom of the Germans. " ) In 1846 he published a paper on "The political conditions in Germany at the end of the Middle Ages. " In the years 1846/47 Löher traveled via England to North America, where he gave lectures given over Germany.

After his return to Paderborn Löher 1848 was co-founder and chief editor of the " Westfälische Zeitung" in Paderborn. The newspaper tried doing to mediate between constitutional and democratic positions. Not least, they tried to increase the political education of the population. In addition, he was until 1850 the leader of the Democrats in Paderborn. After the start of the counter-revolution in Prussia Löher organized in Paderborn large demonstrations against the dissolution of the Prussian National Assembly. In addition Löher played a leading role in the organization of a Democrat Congress in Münster. There Löher spoke vehemently for participation in the tax resistance campaign and called for new elections. Like other participants in the event, he was arrested on 11 December 1848. In contrast, there were massive protests in Paderborn and it was even erected a barricade. The request Löhers to refrain themselves to liberation actions could calm the situation. In the absence of the Paderborn voters chose him in the second Prussian chamber. However Löher and some other selected prisoners were released immediately. This required, among other protests of Parliament. It was only in February 1849 Löher was released from prison. In Parliament, he belonged to the moderate left and developed a good reputation. There were in Paderborn the " Central Journal of craft clubs in the province of Westphalia " with a uniquely democratic orientation out. In the fall of 1849 he was also elected to the city council, mayor and commissioner of Paderborn. However, the government refused him permission, Löher did not allow for testing for the Judiciary and finally dismissed him from the civil service. However, he was in 1850 in a retrial, that had led to his arrest in 1848, acquitted on all counts.

Instead, Löher turned back to the science. In 1851 his work " system of the Prussian law in German legal and philosophical significance " appeared with her in Freiburg im Breisgau received his doctorate. A year later, followed Habilitation in Göttingen for German Political and Legal History. In 1855 was Löher Honorary Professor of countries and Ethnology in Munich. In addition, he served Maximilian II and Queen in many cases as a "literary secretary ." In 1856 he became a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and two years later, the historical commission for Bavaria. In 1859 Löher was appointed to the decorated especially for him Chair of general literary history and country and Ethnology. In the years 1862/63 Löher has traveled to many parts of Europe. In 1864 he was appointed Head of the Bavarian general National Archives. In 1866 he was finally elevated to the peerage. In 1884 he became a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It was followed by numerous further travel and publications. Including a multi-volume work on Jacqueline of Bavaria- Straubing ( 1862-1869 ). In 1876 Löher founded the Archival magazine. As he carried out for Ludwig II numerous orders, Löher came after his death in the criticism. Under pressure from the Bavarian House of Representatives in 1888, he had to give up his position as director of archives.