RIEGGER, PAUL JOSEPH RITTER von. — Born at Friburg in Brisgovia on 29 January 1705, died at Vienna on 2 December 1775.
He was professor of public and international law at the University of Innsbruck, where he also served as dean of the Faculty of Law and rector magnificus, and subsequently professor of canon law at the University of Vienna. A follower of the natural-law school, in his teaching and numerous writings he introduced a constant orientation toward regalism and Febronian episcopalism, an approach which he also effectively promoted at the Court of Vienna in his capacity as aulic councillor, thus opening the way in Austria to that neo-regalist movement which later became consolidated under the name of Josephinism, of which R. may rightly be considered the father and precursor.
The following works of his are noteworthy, although less commendable as regards orthodoxy: Corpus iuris publici et ecclesiastici Germaniae academicum (Vienna-Prague 1757–60); De collectionibus iuris eccl. antiqui (there 1757); Introductio in universum ius ecclesiasticum (there 1758), also published as Institutiones iurisprudentiae ecclesiasticae (there 1768–1772); De Decreto Gratiani (there 1760); Corpus Iuris ecclesiastici (Vienna 1764); De poenitentiis et poenis ecclesiasticis (there 1774–75); Synopsis iuris ecclesiastici publici et privati (there 1776, posthumously).
His son JOSEPH ANTON STEPHAN was likewise a canonist and a fanatical promoter of Josephinism through his work and writings, the principal ones being: Prolegomena ad ius ecclesiasticum (Vienna 1764); De collectione Decretalium Honorii III (there 1769); Conspectus iuris ecclesiastici (there 1769).
Zaccaria da San Mauro