BRUNNER, SEBASTIAN. — Writer, born in Vienna on 10 December 1814, died there on 27 November 1893. Ordained a priest in 1838, he preached for some time in the church of the University of Vienna and from 1848 to 1865 was editor of the Kirchenzeitung. He published numerous articles and various theological, historical, apologetic, and literary works, advocating the right to the freedom of the Church. He vigorously and wittily opposed Josephinism.
His principal works are: Der Predigerorden in Wien und Österreich (Vienna 1867); Die theologische Dienerschaft am Hofe Joseph II. (there 1868); Die Mysterien der Aufklärung in Österreich (Mainz 1869); Der Atheist Renau und sein Evangelium (3rd ed., Paderborn 1868). He also left an interesting autobiography: Woher? Wohin? (2 vols., Vienna 1885; 3rd ed., in 5 vols., there 1891).