ASCHBACH, JOSEPH von. – German Catholic historian, born in Höchst on 29 April 1801, died in Vienna on 25 April 1882. After earning degrees in theology and philosophy at Heidelberg, A. was professor of history at the University of Bonn and in Vienna. In addition to various works, chiefly on the early Middle Ages and the Germanic peoples (Geschichte der Westgoten, Frankfurt 1827; Geschichte Spaniens und Portugals zur Zeit der Almoraviden und Almohaden, there 1833–37; Geschichte der Heruler und Gepiden, there 1835), A. was editor of the Allgemeine Kirchenlexikon, in four volumes (Frankfurt am Main 1846–50).
BIBL.: C. Schrauf, s. V. in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, XLVI, Leipzig 1902, pp. 59–68. Silvio Furlani