Critical Online Edition of the Diaries of Michael Kardinal von Faulhaber (1911-1952)

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Michael Kardinal von Faulhaber (1869-1952) was archbishop of Munich, an eminent theologian, an articulate opinion leader of political Catholicism and a campaigner for church interests. His influence reached far beyond the borders of Germany and the Catholic Church. He travelled much and maintained important international contacts to leading personalities in the fields of the church, politics and culture. The many interlocutors he daily received came from all walks of life. Even though he was revered by many members of the church already during his lifetime, he also remains highly contentious both in research and in the general public today, mostly because of his contradictory behaviour during the “Third Reich”. Faulhaber was not only an important political actor, but also an attentive observer and analyst during a period full of upheaval. His notes were not originally destined for publication and therefore allow for an authentic look behind the scenes. They reveal emotions and motives which could hitherto hardly be depicted by means of the so far available sources. In this context Faulhaber, socialised in the Catholic milieu of the German Empire and a convinced monarchist, is often representative for broad currents in Catholicism. It is a stroke of luck that his diaries have been completely preserved for the years 1911 to 1952 and are available to research since April 2012. This corpus of sources is unique both quantitatively and qualitatively. The diary entries are generally short, but Faulhaber produced supplementary sheets for important topics and conversations, which stand out due to their attention to detail and a high level of reflection. Both the diaries and their supplements are to be catalogued comprehensively, edited in historical-critical fashion, commented on and published in an online database. To achieve this, the applicants, who represent an interdisciplinary approach, are amongst others cooperating with the Archive of the Archdiocese of Munich. Preliminary work is far advanced. The edition will be indicative for key questions of German and European history; the universal structure of the Catholic Church opens up the possibility of international comparisons. The project will enable new contributions on the relationship between religion and politics as well as the handling of totalitarian ideologies by the Catholic Church. The same is true for innovative research on theological and cultural history, for instance on personal networks, forms of piety, Catholic interpretations of war and gender roles or the relations with other religious communities. Faulhaber mostly wrote in “Gabelsberger” shorthand. Since this can only be deciphered by a handful of experts, extensive archival holdings are in danger of becoming illegible. By encompassing Gabelsberger courses, the project will provide an important contribution to the preservation of this cultural technique.