Reichlin, Johann

He studied at the city school in Pforzheim , was a court chorister at the Margrave of Baden. The son of the latter, Friedrich, the same age as Reuchlin, made friends with him and took him with him to Paris , where in 1473 and 1474 ^[2] they both studied ancient languages ^[3] . In 1475, Reuchlin arrived in Basel, where, with Andronicus Kontoblax, he continued his studies. On the instructions of Henlin von Stein (who taught him in Paris), twenty-year-old Reuchlin compiled one of the first school dictionaries and printed it ^[2] . In 1478 , Reuchlin again visited France and studied law sciences in Orleans and Poitiers .

Having become one of the advisers to the Duke of Ambergard of Württemberg, he made a number of trips around Germany with him and in 1482 and 1489 ^[4] visited Italy , where he improved in the Jewish language, which he began to study in Paris ^[3] and became acquainted with mystical Platonism ^[4] . Of the Italian humanists, Marsilio Ficino and Picot della Mirandola had the greatest influence on Reichlin. Upon returning to Stuttgart, Reichlin became the Assistant to the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor of the Dominican Order for Germany; often performed diplomatic missions ^[3] . In 1488, by order of Reichlin in Mainz, the Augustinian monk Goltzinger was arrested and imprisoned in Tübingen prison, who had a pernicious influence on the heir to the throne, Eberhard II . And when Eberhard the Bearded died in 1496, Reichlin had to leave Württemberg ^[4] .

Reichlin retired to the Palatinate Heidelsberg, to Dahlberg. He wrote a dramatic play about his Württemberg ordeals, which, due to his acuteness, was not made by the author himself. In 1497, at the insistence of Reichlin at Heidelberg University, where he was engaged in science, he established a legal board and founded the department of the Greek language. In 1498, Reuchlin traveled to Rome ^[5] .

Emperor Frederick III elevated him to noble dignity . Later, Reichlin was a professor in Heidelberg , then in Ingolstadt and Tübingen .

Reichlin expounded his extensive knowledge in a number of essays. His highest and main merit in the opinion of ESBE is the study of the Jewish language and Jewish theology. In 1494 , the treatise of Reykhlin was published: “De verbo mirifico” , in 1506 - “De rudimentis hebraicis” , in 1517 - “De arte cabbalistica libri V” , in 1518 - a study on the stress and spelling of the Hebrew language . “De verbo mirifico” serves as an introduction to the book “De arte cabbalistica”, which combines the Christian worldview and Kabbalah ^[6] .

In these two writings, Reichlin dwells on the new Pythagorean and Kabbalistic philosophy. Under Verbum mirificum, it was understood in the Kabbalah “ tetragrammaton ” - that is, the mysterious state of the four letters Ihvh, “an incomparable name, not invented by people, but granted by God” .

The first letter of this word, corresponding to the number 10, meant, according to the Pythagorean interpretation, the beginning and end of all things, the second was equal to 5 and meant the union of the Divine (triunity) with nature (the two-unity of Plato and Pythagoras ); the third meant 6 and represented the result of unity, dualism and triunity (1 + 2 + 3 = 6); the latter again corresponded to 5, but already indicated the human soul.

According to Reichlin, the new Pythagorean doctrine was closely connected with Kabbalah; both sought to elevate the spirit of man to God, both preached the transfiguration of earthly life and the need to prepare for heavenly bliss. “De rudiments hebraicis” - half grammar, half dictionary of Hebrew, with Hebrew text for exercises. Reichlin used for this work material collected by the medieval lexicographer and grammar David Kimkhi . The works of Reichlin on the Hebrew language were extremely valuable both to theologians and to philologists. Only with knowledge of the Hebrew language was it possible to check certain parts of the Vulgate for correct translation. Reichlin himself contrasted the Vulgate with Veritas hebraica.

Luther highly valued Reichlin, calling him his father; His disciples were Ecolampadius and his great-nephew Melanchthon .

Hebrew Book

In 1507, a certain Johann Pfefferkorn (who accepted Jewish Christianity in 1506 or 1507) published the book Der Iudenspiegel (Jewish Mirror), in which he attacks the Jews and their religion and demands that all books be taken from them. and are the main reason why Jews are not baptized. Following this, he publishes several other books against the Jews, their rites and customs. He speaks of the terrible hatred that Jews have for Christians.

In 1509, Pfefferkorn in the camp near Padua obtained a mandate from Emperor Maximilian, according to which the Jews should give out their books to Pfefferkorn, and he could, if he found nasty to Christianity, destroy them.

In 1509, Reichlin was challenged by Pfefferkorn. A prolonged literary conflict that has arisen between the two is justly considered the highest point in the development of German humanism. Pfefferkorn proposed to burn all the Jewish books and force the Jews to attend Christian churches. Reichlin opposed this proposal. He divided all the Jewish books into several categories (Holy Scripture Old Testament , Talmud , etc.) and argued that each of them has many useful things for Christians.

The destruction of all Jewish books would be considered by Jews to prove that Christians themselves are not sure that their cause is right. Reuchlin advises to open in each German university, for 10 years, two departments of the Jewish language. In conclusion, he recalls that freedom of religion is guaranteed to the Jews by the emperors themselves. Pfefferkorn in the treatise “Handspiegel” sharply and rudely touched Reuchlin, accusing him even of bribing by Jews. Reichlin responded with the brochure Augenspiegel, where he appealed for the solidarity of all the German scientists against Pfefferkorn and his party. Cologne Dominicans headed by Hochstraten could not leave unanswered the brochure of Reuchlin; the last dispute with Pfefferkorn was transferred to the church forum. The theological faculty of the University of Cologne demanded from Reichlin that he withdraw all his writings in defense of the Jews from sale and publicly renounce the Talmud.

The endless literary struggle of Reichlin and his supporters against the Cologne obscurantists began. Emperor Maximilian , Elector of Mainz and all humanists took the side of Reichlin. Cologne and Mainz became the centers of two opposing trends - obscurantism and humanism . Pope Leo X , who was turned in the midst of a dispute, reacted very liberally to Reichlin and ordered even to open the department of the Jewish language in Rome. Only in 1520, when the Reformation movement began to threaten Rome, did the Pope change his attitude towards the Reikhlin case and issued a decree against Reuchlin. The Reichlin dispute was sparked by the publication of the famous collection “ Letters of Dark People ”, in which, however, Reichlin himself did not participate.

Reichlin was not only a Hebraist, but also an outstanding classical philologist. His name is often referred to as the Greek pronunciation (the so-called “Reichlinic reading”), which, in contrast to Erazmist racism , is denoted by the word таtacism .

The statue of Reichlin is part of the monument of the Reformation, erected in Worms .

A medal of the city of Pforzheim was awarded in honor of Reuchlin. It was awarded for outstanding German-language works in the humanities every two years according to the presentation of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences since 1955. The medal was established to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Reuchlin and is accompanied by a cash prize of 12,500 euros.

The best monograph on Reichlinum belongs to L. Geiger:

• "Johann Reuchlin, sein Leben und seine Werke" (Leipzig, 1871).
• Wed his own, "The History of Renaissance in Italy and Germany."

• Johann Reichlin - a scientist, writer, humanist.

• Forsten G.V. Reykhlin, John // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 86 tons (82 tons and 4 extras). - SPb. , 1890-1907.