BIHLMEYER, KARL

Catholic theologian and church historian; b. Aulendorf, Germany, July 7, 1874; d. Tübingen, March 27, 1942. Bihlmeyer studied theology at the University of Tübingen and was ordained in 1897. After a period of pastoral work, he became an instructor at Wilhelmstift, Tübingen, and later succeeded his master, F. X. Funk, as professor of church history at Tübingen University, where he lectured from 1907 to 1940. He revised the sixth edition of Funk's Kirchengeschichte (Manual of Church History ), expanding it to three volumes and bringing out five successive editions based on new historical research and discoveries between 1911 and 1940. The most recent revised editions have been prepared by H. Tüchle [1951–64; Eng. tr., Church History, 3 v. (Westminster, Md. 1958–65)]. Bihlmeyer's early interest centered on the ancient Church, and he produced Die syrischen Kaiser in Rom und das Christum (Tübingen 1916); "Das Erste Allgemein Konzil zu Nizäa," Analecta Sacra Tarraconensia 2 (1926) 199–218; and an edition of Funk's Die Apostolischen Väter (Tübingen 1924). His interest extended also to medieval German mysticism, and he published Heinrich Seuse, Deutsche Schriften (Stuttgart 1907). He wrote articles for the Tübinger Theol. Quartalschrift. In his teaching and writing, Bihlmeyer exhibited a strictly scientific spirit, unconditional adherence to the truth combined with a discriminatory critical sense, and deep loyalty to the Church.

Bibliography: f. x. seppelt, Historisches Jahrbuch der Görres–Gesellschaft 62–69 (1942–49) 906–908. j. r. geiselmann, Theologische Quartalschrift 123 (1942) 73–78. h. tÜchle, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, j. hofer and k. rahner 10 v. (2d new ed. Freiburg, 1957–65) 2:457; Neue deutsche Biographie (Berlin 1953–) 2:234–235.

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