FRANZ, ADOLF. — Scholar of liturgical questions and politician, born on 21 December 1842 at Langenbielau, died on 6 November 1916 at Baden-Baden. Ordained a priest in 1867, he engaged in active political and journalistic work: from 1878 to 1881 he was editor of the Germania.
A deputy to the Prussian Diet and to the Reichstag from 1875 to 1882, he was called by Archbishop Herzog of Breslau to join the Cathedral Chapter and reorganized that diocese, which was in a grave state of neglect because of the Kulturkampf. He subsequently became an influential adviser to Cardinal Kopp, especially on social questions. He wrote valuable works of a historical-liturgical character, among which are Die Messe im deutschen Mittelalter (Breslau 1902) and Die kirchlichen Benediktiner im Mittelalter (ibid. 1909).
Silvio Furlani.