KIRSCH, Johan Peter. - Luxembourgish prelate, archaeologist, and historian, born at Dippach on 3 November 1861, died at Rome on 4 February 1941. He studied in Luxembourg, where he was ordained priest on 25 August 1884; on 2 November of the same year he came to Rome, to the Campo Santo Teutonico, to specialize in Christian archaeology and ecclesiastical history. He enjoyed the friendship of G. B. De Rossi and A. De Waal and attended the school of Palaeography, Diplomatics, and Archival Science established in 1885 at the Vatican Archives, from which he was the first to receive, from Cardinal G. Hergenröther, the diploma in archival palaeography (1887).
He was the first director and organizer of the historical institute founded in Rome by the Görres-Gesellschaft in 1888, and it was through his initiative that the archaeological section of the same society was opened in Jerusalem in 1908. In the autumn of 1889, the Minister of Public Instruction of the Canton of Fribourg, G. Python, offered him the chair of patrology and Christian archaeology at the newly founded University of Fribourg, which K. held brilliantly until 1932. In the academic year 1898–99 he also served as rector of the same university. He was the organizer, professor, first director (1925–41), and generous benefactor of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology (v. ISTITUTI DI STUDI SUPÉ-RIORI) founded on 11 December 1925 by Pius XI. As a scholar he took an active part in the 1st and 2nd International Congresses of Christian Archaeology held at Split (1894) and Rome (1900); as director of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology he oversaw the organization of the 3rd and 4th Congresses held at Ravenna (1932) and Rome (1938). He was a consultor of first appointment of the historical section of the Sacred Congregation of Rites (1930) and an apostolic protonotary (28 April 1932).
He began his scholarly career with archival research on papal finance in the 13th and 15th centuries and on the revenues of the College of Cardinals in the 13th and 14th centuries. The fruit of his patient and gifted investigations on this subject, especially in the Vatican Archives, is contained in the following studies: *Die päpstlichen Kollektionen in Deutschland während des XIV. Jahrhunderts* (Paderborn 1894); *Die Finanzverwaltung des Kardinalkollegiums im XIII. u. XIV. Jahrhundert* (Münster in V. 1895); *Die Rückkehr Urbans V. XI. von Avignon nach Rom* (Paderborn 1898); *L’administration des finances pontificales au XIVe siècle*, in *Revue d’histoire ecclés.*, 1 (1900), pp. 274–96; *Die päpstlichen Annaten in Deutschland während des XIV. Jahrhunderts. I. Von Johann XXII. bis Innocenz VI.* (Paderborn 1903; the second volume, ready for the press, was never published); *La fiscalité pontificale dans les diocèses de Lausanne, Genève et Sion, à la fin du XIIIe et au XIVe siècle*, in *Revue d’histoire ecclés. suisse*, 2 (1908), pp. 31–44, 102–13, 190–204; *Die Annatentbulle Klemens V. für England, Schottland u. Irland vom 1. Feb. 1306*, in *Römische Quartalschrift*, 27 (1913), pp. 202–207.
Though the results obtained from the above-mentioned research were of great interest, K. was drawn to Christian antiquities, to which he devoted his talents as archaeologist and historian for forty years. He turned his critical acumen to the Roman liturgy and its additions: he wrote on St Cecilia (*Die heilige Cäcilia in der römischen Kirche*, Paderborn 1910); on the Four Holy Crowned Martyrs (*Die Passio der hl. « Vier Gekrönten » in Rom*, in *Historisches Jahrbuch der Görresgesellschaft*, 38 [1917], pp. 72–97); on the martyrs of the Via Labicana, Via Aurelia, and Via Cornelia (*Die Märtyrer der Katakombe « ad duas Lauros » an der Via Labicana in Rom*, in *Ehrengabe zum 50. Geburtstage S.K.H. des Prinzen Johann Georg V. Sachsen*, Fribourg in Br. 1920, pp. 577–602; *Le memorie dei martiri sulle Vie Aurelia e Cornelia*, in *Miscellanea Ehrle*, 11, Rome 1924, pp. 63–100; *Die Grabstätte der « Felices duo pontifices et martyres » an der Via Aurelia*, in *Römische Quartalschrift*, 33 [1925], pp. 1–24); on the feasts of SS Peter and Paul (*Le feste degli apostoli. Pietro e s. Paolo nel Martirologio geronimano*, in *Riv. di arch. cristiana*, 2 [1925], pp. 54–83; *Die beiden Apostelfeste Petri Stuhlfeier u. Pauli Bekelbrung in Januar*, in *Jahrbuch f. Liturgiewissenschaft*, 5 [1925], pp. 48–68); on the Roman liturgical stations (*Origine e carattere primitivo delle Stazioni liturgiche di Roma*, in *Rendiconti Pont. Acc. rom. di archeol.*, 3 [1925], pp. 123–41; *Die Stationskirchen des Missale Romanum, mit einer Untersuchung über Ursprung u. Entwicklung der liturgischen Stationsfeier*, Fribourg in Br. 1926; *L’origine des stations liturgiques du Missel Roman*, in *Ephemerides Lit.*, 41 [1927], pp. 137–50); on the legends and cult of the Roman martyrs (*Römische Märtyrerlegenden u. altchristliche Kirchen Rom* in *Festschrift Georg V. Hertling*, Kempten 1913, pp. 49–64; *L’origine del culto dei martiri della Chiesa romana*, in *La scuola cattolica*, 6th ser., 9 (1927), pp. 161–74; *Die Grabstätten der römischen Märtyrer u. ihre Stellung im liturgischen Märtyrerkultus*, in *Römische Quartalschrift*, 38 (1930), pp. 107–31; *The veneration of Martyrs in the ancient Church*, in *The Clerus review*, 3 [1932], pp. 249–313.
Yet his most distinguished hagiographical-liturgical work on the Roman martyrs is *Der stadtrömische christliche Festkalendar in Altertum* (Münster in V. 1924), a hagiographical, archaeological, and liturgical commentary on the Depositio martyrum, the Depositio episcoporum, and the notices of the Hieronymian Martyrology relating to the Roman martyrs. This work earned K. a place among the most profound and reliable authorities on the intricate Hieronymian Martyrology.
His activity as an archaeologist, after some minor essays, properly began with two articles on Old St Peter’s (*Beiträge zur Baugeschichte der alten Peterskirche* and *Der Altar des heiligen Kreuzes in der alten Peterskirche*, in *Römische Quartalschrift*, 4 [1890], pp. 110–24, 273–77). From 1893 he began to illustrate various ancient monuments in the Canton of Fribourg, including the Burgundian cemetery at Fétigny (*Le cimetière burgondo de Fétigny*, Fribourg in Switzerland 1896), and to take an interest in excavations that brought to light such precious monuments in Rome (the *Memoria Apostolorum*, 1916–23), in Switzerland (1923–25), in the Rhineland: Bonn and Xanten (1932, 1934), and at Dura-Europos (1933, 1937). His preferred subjects, however, were early Christian places of worship (*Die christlichen Kultusgebäude in Altertum*, Cologne 1893; *Die christlichen Kultusgebäude in der vorkonstantinischen Zeit*, in *Festschrift des deutschen Campo santo in Rom*, Rome 1897, pp. 6–20; *Der Ursprung der altchristlichen Basilika*, in *Revue Luxembourgeoise*, 1 [1906], pp. 397–411; *Die vorkonstantinischen christlichen Kultusgebäude im Lichte der neuesten Entdeckungen im Osten*, in *Römische Quartalschrift*, 41 [1933], pp. 15–28; *Die Entwicklung des Bautypus der altchristlichen römischen Basilika*, ibid., 43 [1935], pp. 1–22; *Il transetto nella basilica cristiana antica*, in *Scritti in onore di B. Nogara*, Città del Vasto 1937, pp. 205–25; *Gli edifici sacri cristiani nel primo l’antichità*, appendix to Fliche-Martin-Frutaz, III, Turin 1939, pp. 537–63; *Gli edifici sacri cristiani nei tre primi secoli della Chiesa*, in *Atti del IV Congresso internaz. di arch. crist.*, I, Vatican City 1940, pp. 113–26). Of particular interest are his contributions on early Christian iconography and the examination of a group of unpublished paintings in the cemetery of SS Peter and Marcellinus (*ibid.*, 7 [1930], pp. 31–46, 903–34); *Cubicoli dipinti nel cimitero dei SS. Pietro e Marcellino sulla Via Labicana*, ibid., 9 [1932], pp. 17–36; *Un cubicolo con pitture profane inedite nella catacomba dei SS. Pietro e Marcellino*, ibid., 10 [1933], pp. 263–85).
BIBL.:
G. Belvederi, *Kirsch*, in *Enciclopedia Cattolica*, VI, 1951, coll. 1233–35.
Al K. deserves credit for having been the first to present a comprehensive critical study of the Roman Titles. Even if his theory regarding their origin may be revised, the fact remains that his contribution is the best and most systematic work written on the subject (*Die römischen Titelkirchen zur Zeit Konstantins des Grossen*, in *Konstantin der Grosse u. seine Zeit*, supplement XX to the *Römische Quartalschrift*, 1913, pp. 315-39; *Die römischen Titelkirchen im Altertum*, Paderborn 1918; *I santuari domestici di martiri nei Titoli romani ed altri simili santuari nelle Chiese cristiane e nelle case private di fedeli*, in *Rendiconti Pont. Acc. rom. di archeol.*, 2 [1924], pp. 27-43; *Origine e carattere degli antichi Titoli cristiani di Roma*, in *Atti del III Congresso nazionale di Studi romani*, I, Bologna [1935], pp. 39-47). His studies on early Christian epigraphy also merit special mention (*Die Accalationen und Gebete der altchristlichen Grabuschriften*, Cologne 1897; *Die christliche Epigraphik und ihre Bedeutung für die kirchengeschichtliche Forschung*, Freiburg im Br. 1898; *Les acclamations des épitaphes chrétiennes de l'antiquité et les prières liturgiques pour les défunts*, in *Compte rendu du VIe Congrès scientifique international des catholiques tenu à Fribourg (Suisse)*, Fribourg 1898, pp. 113-22). He dealt with the ancient Christian cemeteries of Rome in general in two clear popular volumes (*Aus den römischen Katakomben*, Paderborn 1926, and *Le catacombe romane*, Rome 1933).
In the field of positive theology, his work *Die Lehre von der Gemeinschaft der Heiligen im christlichen Altertum. Eine dogmengeschichtliche Studie* (Mainz 1900) should be noted. For scholars of Christian antiquity, K. provided, from 1893 to 1940, an invaluable aid in the form of systematic bibliographies on the subject, first in the *Revue thomiste* (1 [1893], 2 [1894], 3 [1895], 4 [1896]), then in the *Römische Quartalschrift* from 1900 to 1938, and especially in the *Rivista di archeologia cristiana* from 1929 to 1940.
K. was eager to disseminate the results achieved by sound criticism and the investigations of scholars in his field, as evidenced by his enthusiastic and effective collaboration with major modern ecclesiastical encyclopedias (*Realenzyklopädie der Christlichen Alterthümer*, F. X. Kraus [4 articles], 1886; *DACL*, 1907, 1908 [4 articles]; *DHG*, 1909-24 [4 articles]; *Cath. Enc.*, 1907-12 [28 articles]; *LTHK*, 1930-38 [42 articles]). His articles are consistently distinguished by clarity, precision, and reliable information. Moreover, he demonstrated his qualities as a historian in revising the 4th, 5th, and 6th editions of the *Handbuch der allgemeinen Kirchengeschichte* in 4 volumes, edited under his direction in Freiburg im Br. 1902-1909; 1911-16; 1924-25 (Italian version of the 4th German edition by E. Rosa, 7 vols., Florence 1904-23), which proved so helpful to students of ecclesiastical history. After the 6th edition, K. deemed it appropriate to present to the public a new *Kirchengeschichte* in collaboration with A. Bigelmaier, J. Greven, and A. Veit (5 vols. already published, 1930-50), reserving for himself the treatment of Christian antiquity (*Die Kirche in der antiken griechisch-römischen Kulturwelt*, Freiburg im Br. 1930).
A disciple and friend of the great historians and archaeologists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Monsignor K., a most upright priest endowed with truly exceptional intellectual and moral qualities, made a significant contribution to the renewal of advanced ecclesiastical studies, both through his scientific output—partially listed above—and by promoting numerous scholarly publications, particularly in the Pontifical