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 in 1836 professor of ecclesiastical law and civil proctor there. He later taught at Marburg (1838) and finally at Berlin (from 1846 until his death).
Besides engaging in scholarly work for part of the Consistory of the German Evangelical Church and the Prussian Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs, he founded and edited the journals: Kritische Jahrbücher für deutsche Rechtswissenschaft (Leipzig, from 1837), Der Staat um die Deutschlandkatholiken (ibid., from 1846), and Zeitschrift für das Recht und die Politik der Kirche (ibid., from 1847). Though a Protestant, his entire scholarly output and teaching were pervaded by a rigorous objectivity and contributed to making Roman Catholic canon law and curial practice known in Germany. In addition to his famous edition of the Corpus iuris canonici (Leipzig 1833–39) and of the Canones et Decreta 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 Lipsiensi (ibid. 1836); Eine Marburger akademische Schrift vom Jahr 1844; Lehrbuch des katholischen und evangelischen Kirchenrechts (ibid. 1842; 8th ed. 1886).