Hanthaler, Chrysostomus (Johannes Adam)
HANTHALER, CHRYSOSTOMUS (JOHANNES ADAM)
Cistercian historian; b. Mehrnbach bei Ried, Austria, Jan. 14, 1690; d. Lilienfeld, Sept. 2, 1754. He joined the Cistercian community of Lilienfeld in 1716 and subsequently studied at the University of Vienna. There he developed an interest in medieval history, numismatics, and genealogy. He returned to Lilienfeld, became librarian, and dedicated his life to the collection and publication of historical documents. At his death his works amounted to 24 volumes in folio, although only a fraction of this material was published in his lifetime. In addition to studies in genealogy and numismatics, his chief work was the Fasti Campililienses (3 v., Linz 1747–54), a heavily documented history of Austria from the beginnings to 1500. The continuation of the same history was left in manuscript form until it was edited in Vienna in 1818. His patriotism and professional pride induced him to forge several alleged chronicles of early Austrian history, Notulae anecdotae (Krems 1742), which, although cleverly composed, were soon exposed as fabrications.
Bibliography: krones, Allgemeine deutsche Biographie (Leipzig 1875–1910) 10:547–549. f. loidl, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 5:3–4.
[l. j. lekai]