The earliest Blocher / Plocher known so far:Johannes Plocher / Blocher / Blochar and his career at the University "Ruperto-Carola" of Heidelberg He was born about 1430 probably in Holzhausen and he had been mentioned in the sources with origin from 72172 Holzhausen (today 72172 Sulz). About 1442 he probably had been a student of the Latin School in Sulz (founded ab. 1435). The use of Latin language was the preparation to study at a university because Latin was the academic language of the past.Since 1446 onwards he had been mentioned as a student " Johannes Plocher" in the records of the University Ruperto-Carola of Heidelberg. In 1455 he had been mentioned as a magister "Johannes Blocher von Holczhusen" of the University. At 20 Dec. 1455 he had been elected as the dean of the department of artists. 1456 and again 1460 he had been mentioned as a teacher in the department of artists (artists can be compared with todays general studies. There where two departments only in the beginning - namely theology and artists). In 1460 he also gave lectures in theology. 1460 Johann Blocher had been mentioned as a teacher at the University of Basel/Switzerland (source: matrikulation register of the University of Basel/Bale).At 23 June 1461 he had been elected as the rector of the University of Heidelberg. In this position he had been mentioned in 08 Aug. 1461 as a diplomat to represent the Duke Electoral of Palatinate (Kurfürst der Pfalz) Friedrich I. in a meeting with the Archbishop of Mainz and he met the Duke Friedrich I. for prenegotiations. A new rector was elected for each semester (sources: matrikulation register of the University of Heidelberg). Unfortunately nothing further is known of Johann Blocher's life after 1462. The library of the Univesity had been founded in 1421, when it gained the whole stock of the library of the Duke Electoral of Palatinate to establish a famous academic centre. The library became continously larger as many famous men crowned their university career with buying books from all over Europe and donating them to the library. The library was located in the Church of Heilig-Geist in the centre of Heidelberg since 1621. In 1550 the council of the University of Heidelberg decided to start a systematic registration of all the books bought during the time when Johann Blocher had been the rector ("so unter dem Rektorate des Johannes Blocher angeschafft worden"). You may assume that he bought many books (source: Book of Documents of the Universität of Heidelberg). Those books may have constituted the special library of the artist faculty, which had not been taken into account in 1466 when the first registration of all books of the "Palatina" took place (source: Palatina, catalogue for the exhibition of the "Bibliotheka Palatina" in Heilig-Geist-Kirche, Heidelberg. The famous library was exhibited in 1989 in the Church of Heilig-Geist in Heidelberg). Sources: Urkundenbuch der Universität Heidelberg, von Winkelmann, Bd. II S. 112 / Book of Documents of the University of Heidelberg 6. Festschrift 600 Jahre Universität Heidelberg, Bd. IV / comnmemorative publication 600 years University of Heidelberg 7. Sulz, alte Stadt am jungen Neckar; 1984, von Dr. W.Hecht, Paul T. Müller und Peter Vosseler: darin S. 183 ff. : Die Sulzer Lateinschule, von Dieter-W. Mayer - contents the local history of the city of Sulz am Neckar, especially the chapter about the Latin School of Sulz. |