BINTERIM, ANTON JOSEPH. — Historian and archaeologist, born on 19 Sept. 1779 at Düsseldorf, died on 17 May 1855 at Bilk. Franciscan in 1796, secularized in 1802 following the suppression of convents, parish priest at Bilk (a suburb of Düsseldorf). A zealous pastor and prolific writer.
His principal work is *Die vorzüglichen Denkkürdigkeiten der christkatholischen Kirche aus den ersten, mittleren und letzten Zeiten, mit besonderer Rücksichtnahme auf die Disziplin der kath. Kirche in Deutschland* (Mainz 1825–41; 2nd ed., 7 vols. in 17 tomes, ibid. 1838 sq.). B. follows the schema of *De christiana ecclesiae primae, mediae et noxissimae aetatis politica* (Naples 1777–81) by A. Pelliccia, Neapolitan archaeologist, greatly enriching its content, especially with regard to the German Church. The immense material collected therein remains very useful, although the work as a whole is in many respects outdated. Also noteworthy is his *Pragmatische Geschichte der deutschen Concilien* (7 vols., ibid. 1835–48; 2nd ed., 1851 sq.), the first attempt at a reasoned history of German national and provincial councils.
A quantity of minor writings, predominantly of a pastoral and polemical-apologetic character, exerted at the time a beneficial influence in the struggle of Catholics against aggressive Prussian Lutheranism.
Giovanni Crisostomo Jaro