RICHTER, EMIL LUDWIG. - Canonist, b. at Stolpen (Dresden) on 15 Nov. 1808, d. at Berlin on 8 May 1864. Having taken his doctorate in law, history, and philology at the University of Leipzig, he became professor there in 1836 of ecclesiastical law and civil procedure. He subsequently taught at Marburg (1838) and finally at Berlin (from 1846 until his death).
Besides pursuing scholarly activity, he was a member of the Consistory of the German Evangelical Church and of the Prussian Ministry of Worship. He founded and directed the periodicals: Kritische Jahrbücher für deutsche Rechtwissenschaft (Leipzig, from 1837), Der Staat um die Deutschkatholiken (ibid., from 1846), and Zeitschrift für das Recht und die Politik der Kirche (ibid., from 1847). Although a Protestant, all his work and teaching were permeated by rigorous objectivity and contributed to making Roman Catholic law and curial practice known in Germany. In addition to the celebrated edition of the Corpus iuris canonici (Leipzig 1833–39) and of the Canones et Decretia Concilii Tridentini (ibid. 1839), mention should be made of: Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Quellen des canonischen Rechts (ibid. 1834); De emendatoribus Gratiani (ibid. 1835); De inedita Decretalium Collectione Lipriensi (ibid. 1836); Eine Marburger akademische Schrift vom Jahr 1844; Lehrbuch des katholischen und evangelischen Kirchenrechts (ibid. 1842; 8th ed. 1886).