FRANCO (Franck), Johannes. – Dominican mystic, d. between 1347 and 1351. Among several fellow friars who, around the year 1300, bore the well-known Cologne name F. (Franke), Johannes was of the patrician stock Vlagge. Probably a disciple of Meister Eckhart, F. appears to be identical with the conventual prior of Cologne in 1318 and with the subprior of 1334, since that principal Dominican house in Germany always had outstanding superiors. F. was certainly in Cologne from 1304 to 1327, serving as lector and preacher greatly beloved by the faithful. His sermons are distinguished by speculative force and plastic expression.
BIBL.: W. Preger, Geschichte der deutschen Mystik im Mittelalter, II, Leipzig 1881, pp. 173 sqq., 84, 457 sqq.; G. Löhr, Beiträge zur Geschichte des kaiserdomini, Klösters in Mittelalter (Quellen u. Forschungen zur Gesch. d. domin. Klösters in Mittelalter, 13), 1871, pp. 49-50, 155; (ibid., 16-17), 1872, pp. 122-23, 69, 74, 100, 126; J. Uttenweiler, s. V. in LThK, IV, col. 88.