Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.
KEHR, PAUL FRIDOLIN. — Born on 28 December 1860 at Waltershausen near Gotha (Thuringia) to a Protestant family, died on 9 November 1944 at Wässerndorf Castle near Würzburg. An eminent historian, he produced the fundamental work for the study of papal documents up to the thirteenth century.
He began his scholarly career as a collaborator of the MGH; a privatdozent in 1889 and extraordinary professor in 1893 at Marburg, he was appointed professor of medieval history at Göttingen in 1895.
In 1896 he proposed to the academy of that city a plan to collect and publish all papal documents preceding Innocent III (the year 1198), both published and unpublished, by searching for their originals and copies in all the archives of Europe. As a preliminary to the complete publication of the texts in accordance with the requirements of scientific criticism
KEEWATIN, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF — Landscape under snow with a church. (photograph Fides)the Regesta Pontificum Romanorum thus came into being, suitably arranged by regions, dioceses, localities, and institutions; the first volume, devoted to Rome, appeared in 1906. This grandiose work, carried out with admirable methodological precision in collaboration with distinguished scholars, was strongly supported by the Church and especially by Pope Pius XI, who honored K. with his friendship and also provided him with substantial financial assistance to ensure the successful continuation of the work. At his death, eight volumes relating to Italy (Italia Pontificia) and three relating to Germany (Germania Pontificia) had been published; the ninth and final volume on Italy was ready for printing, and preparation of the volumes for France, England, Portugal, and Spain was already well advanced. His minor publications are numerous: reports on archival investigations, particular studies of papal and imperial diplomatics, and historical researches and expositions.
He was also director of the Prussian, later German, Historical Institute in Rome (from 1903 to 1936), director-general of the Prussian State Archives (from 1913 to 1929), and president of the MGH (from 1919 to 1936).
BIBL.: L. Santifaller, P.F.K., in Almanach der österreichischen Akad. der Wissenschaften, 90 (1945), pp. 192–99. Giulio Battelli
Cite this article
“KEHR, PAUL FRIDOLIN.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VII (1951), p. 422. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/kehr-paul-fridolin.
