Moerlin, Joachim

MOERIKOFER, mm"i-kef'er, JOHANN KASPAR: Swiss Protestant; b. at Frauenfeld (22 m. n.e. of Zurich) Oct. 11, 1799; d. at Riesbach (a village near Zurich) Oct. 17, 1877. After the com pletion of his theological education in Zurich in 1822 he was a teacher and gymnasial director in his native city for many years, but in 1851 was called to the pastorate of the church at Gottlieben, in the vicinity of Constance. In 1869 he retired from active life, living first at Winterthur and later at Zurich, receiving honorary citizenship from the latter. He actively promoted an institution founded in 1845 at Bernrain for the education of the poor, acted as a member of the cantonal synod, dean of the Steckborn chapter, president of the cantonal Gesellschaft zur BefSrderung des Guten and Ge meinniitzigen, and was one of the founders of the historical society of his canton of Torgau and con tributed much to its journal. With equal versa tility he sought to preserve the scientific and artis tic treasures of the Torgau monasteries suppressed in 1848, and wrote: Die schweizerische Mundart im Verhdltnisa our hochdeutschen Schriftspraehe (1838). The significance of these interests, however, was overshadowed by his Die schweizerische Litteratur des achtzehnten Jdhrhunderls (Leipsic, 1861) and by the theme which had attracted him even as a stu dent in 1819-the history of the Reformation in Switzerland. After a preliminary Bader aus dem kirchlichen Leben der Schweiz (Leipsic, 1861), be published the first comprehensive biography of the Swiss Reformer in his Ulricft Zwingli each den urkundlichxn Quelteys (2 vols., 1867-69); and also wrote J. J. Breitinger and Zurich (1873); and Ge schichte, der evangelischen Fluchtlinge in der Schweiz (1876).

(G. Meyer von Knonau.)

Bibliography: Autobiographic material, ed. H. G. Suisberger, appeared in Thmgauirchen Beibdge zur roaterfgndi >dka. heft xxv., pp. 2-ltib; ADA mi. 280.

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