Friedrich Münter
Friedrich Münter | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Zealand | |
 Portrait by Christian Albrecht Jensen and Christian Horneman | |
| Church | Church of Denmark |
| Diocese | Diocese of Zealand |
| In office | 1808–1830 |
| Predecessor | Nicolai Edinger Balle |
| Successor | Peter Erasmus Müller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 14, 1761 Gotha |
| Died | April 9, 1830 (aged 68) |
| Denomination | Lutheranism |
| Education | University of Göttingen University of Fulda |
Friedrich Christian Carl Heinrich Münter (14 October 1761 – 9 April 1830) was a German-Danish scholar, theologian, and Bishop of Zealand from 1808 until his death. His name has also been recorded as Friederich Münter.
In addition to his position as the Bishop of Zealand within the Church of Denmark, Münter was also a professor of theology at the University of Copenhagen, an orientalist, church historian, archaeologist, and freemason.
Personal life[]
Friedrich Münter was born on 14 October 1761 in Gotha to Balthasar Münter, a clergyman. His father moved with his family to Copenhagen in 1765 to become vicar at St. Peter's Church. While in Copenhagen, Friedrich was privately tutored at the vicarage and enjoyed the company of many of his father's renowned acquaintances including the archaeologist Carsten Niebuhr, professor of theology Johann Andreas Cramer, and the poets Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock and Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg.[1] Münter's sister, Sophie Christiane Friederike Brun was a renowned author and member of the upper class.
In 1791, he married Maria Elisabeth Krohn (1771–1842). Their first son, Balthasar (1794–1867), was born in Copenhagen and became a pastor.[2] Their second son, Carl Vilhelm Theodor Münter (1798–1841), was a public servant.[3] Their daughter, Maria Frederica Franzisca Münter (1796-1871), went by the name "Fanny." In 1815, Fanny married Jacob Peter Mynster who went on to become bishop of Zealand four years after Münter's death.[4]
Career[]
In 1781 he began his studies at the University of Göttingen, and in 1784 he was the first protestant to receive a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Fulda.[5] Afterwards, King Christian VII of Denmark sent him to Italy and Sicily to continue his education. In Rome, Münter had contact with Stefano Borgia, who later became cardinal. There he learned the Coptic language. In 1787 he returned to Copenhagen and became a professor at the University of Copenhagen.[5]
