Abstract: This article examines the largely overlooked historian Joseph Augustin Ginzel (1804 – 1876), who devoted his scholarly efforts to the Cyrillo-Methodian question and to ecclesiastical history spanning the Middle Ages, the early modern period, and the 19th century. His seminal work on Saints Cyril and Methodius, entitled Geschichte der Slawenapostel Cyrill und Method und der slawischen Liturgie (Leitmeritz, 1857; 2nd ed., Wien, 1861), was, at the time of its publication and for several decades thereafter, an important source of knowledge about the lives and legacies of the two missionaries as well as about the Slavic liturgy. Although many of the claims presented in the book were later disproved by subsequent research, Ginzel’s work nonetheless exerted a positive influence on numerous scholars within the territories of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the German Empire. Ginzel’s significance also lies in his evolving relationship with the Catholic Church, which underwent dramatic changes over the course of his lifetime. Initially, he was a devoted supporter not only of the Catholic Church but also of the state, as he maintained a strong affinity for the Habsburgs and the Austrian Empire. However, when the state began to distance itself from the Catholic Church in the 1860s, Ginzel aligned himself more closely with the state than with the Church.

Author: Zouhar, Jakub

DOI: 10.17846/CL.2025.18.2.147-173

Publication order reference: Doc. PhDr. et Mgr. Jakub Zouhar, Ph.D.; University of Hradec Králové, Philosophical Faculty, Department of Auxiliary Sciences of History and Archival Studies, Náměstí Svobody 331, 500 03 Hradec Králové 3, Czech Republic; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4681-7214, SCOPUS Author ID: 35759984300

Source: Konštantínove listy, 2025, vol.: 18, issue: 2, pages: 147-173 (PDF file)

Keywords: JOSEPH AUGUSTIN GINZEL; CYRILLO-METHODIAN SCHOLARSHIP; HISTORY OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORICAL WRITING; BOHEMIA; 19TH CENTURY

Language: ENGLISH

Recommended Citation:
Zouhar, Jakub. 2025. Joseph Augustin Ginzel (1804 – 1876): A Forgotten Bohemian Scholar of the Cyrillo-Methodian Tradition and Church Historian. In Konštantínove listy [Constantine’s Letters] 18/2, 147-173.