HORNTHAL, FRANZ LUDWIG VON:

By: Isidore Singer

German jurist and author; born in Hamburg March 5, 1763; died at Bamberg June 27, 1853. After studying at Bamberg he was appointed teacher to the pages of the Bishop of Bamberg. A few years later he established himself as an attorney at law. In 1803 he became district president ("Landescommissar"), and then attained in quick succession the positions of "Landesdirectionsrath," "Stadtcommissar," and chief of police. In 1806 he became "Regierungscommissar," and judge at the supreme court of justice of Franconia. At this time he was called upon to regulate the disorganized financial affairs of the city of Nuremberg. In 1809 he visited Vienna. During the War of Liberation (1813-15) he was very active in recruiting and equipping volunteers in Bavaria. For the services thus rendered to his fatherland he was ennobled (1815). About this time he became mayor of Bamberg, and through his organization of philanthropic and other institutions rendered the greatest services to his fellow citizens.

Hornthal wrote: "Ueber das Anlehensgeschäft der Vereinigten Bayerischen Gutsbesitzer," Bamberg, 1824; "Ansichten über den Wechselseitigen Einfluss der Umwälzung des Staats und des Staatscredites," 1816; "Werden die Deutschen Bundesfürsten an einem Feindlichen Einfalle in Spanien Theil Nehmen?" Nuremberg, 1823; "Ueber den Congress zu Verona," ib. 1822; "Darstellung der Ereignisse bei dem vom Fürsten Hohenlohe Unternommenen Heilverfahren," Bamberg, 1822; "Darstellung der Verhältnisse der Stiftungen in Bamberg," ib. 1821; "Ueber Souverainetät, Staatsverfassung und Repräsentativform," Nuremberg, 1816; "Ueber das Grossherzoglich Weimar'sche Strafurtheil Gegen den Hofrath Ofen," ib. 1819; "Vorschläge über Abwendung der Fruchttheuerung," ib. 1817; "Briefe aus Bamberg über das Wundervolle des Fürsten v. Hohenlohe," Erlangen, 1821; "Minister London-derry und Sein Federmesser," Nuremberg, 1822.

S.