WESTENRIEDER, LORENZ von. – Priest and historian, b. in Munich on 1 August 1748, d. there on 15 March 1829.
Ordained priest in 1771, he was called to teach poetics and rhetoric at Landshut and later at Munich, where he spent his entire life, entirely devoted to teaching and historical studies. A member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, censor of books published in Bavaria, inspector of Munich’s schools, and canon of the Cathedral, W. was a man of piety and learning who placed his profound culture at the service of the humblest classes, thus earning the title of “popular teacher of his homeland.” From 1787 to 1815 he published annually a *Bayerische historische Kalendar* (20 vols., Munich 1787–1815) to spread among the people knowledge of national history, viewed and explained in a Catholic sense and enriched with wise moral maxims. The same aim is served by the ten volumes, appearing between 1788 and 1817, of essays on Bavarian history and literature.
More scientific in character are the *Geschichte der bayer. Akademie der Wissenschaften* (2 vols., ibid. 1784–1807) and the *Deutsch-latein. Glossarium mittelalter. Ausdrücke* (ibid. 1816).