COMMER, ERNST. - Neo-Thomist philosopher and theologian, b. in Berlin on 18 Feb. 1847, d. in Graz on 24 Apr. 1928. He taught philosophy at Ratisbon and Liverpool, apologetics and moral theology at the R. Academy of Münster (1884–88), dogmatic theology at the University of Breslau (1888–1900) and at that of Vienna (1900–10).
Principal writings: System der Philosophie (4 vols., Münster-Paderborn 1883–85); Die Kirche in ihrem Wesen und Leben dargestellt (Vienna 1904); Relectio de Matris Dei munere (there 1906); H. Schell und der fortschrittliche Katholizismus, (there 1907). C. was the first to subject the theories of Schell and the reformist Catholics to rigorous examination and played an important part in the controversy that followed. His chief merit was the foundation of a Thomistic journal for the German-speaking countries, the Jahrbuch für Philosophie und spekulative Theologie (Münster 1886), continued in Vienna from 1914 under the name Divus Thomas.