Hofzinser trivia

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Richard Hatch
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Hofzinser trivia

Postby Richard Hatch » March 31st, 2003, 7:20 am

Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser (1806-1875)was named for St. John of Nepomuk (also rendered in English as St. John Nepomucene), onetime vicar of Prague and the patron saint of Bohemia. The latter was apparently murdered by drowning on the order of King Wenceslaus IV (could that be "good" King Wenceslaus?) in 1393. In part, the King was apparently upset that the vicar would not violate the seal of confession by revealing to him the name of the Queen's paramour. When St. John of Nepomuk's tomb in the Prague cathedral was opened more than 300 years later, in 1719, his tongue was found to be uncorrupted though shrivelled. Sounds like something for David Blaine to work on...
Incidentally, at the time of Hofzinser's birth, it was apparently a popular choice of name in that part of the world. The composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel and the exhibitor of Von Kempelen's celebrated chess playing automaton, Johann Nepomuk Maelzel (who was also the inventor of the metronome and a patron of Beethoven) are two other's who achieved fame despite the name.

Vernon apparently was so taken with his hero's name that he gave one of his sons the middle name Nepomuk and the nickname "Neppie". Hofzinser's nickname was also taken from his middle name, but from the other end of it: "Mucki".
Here's a link to a website on St. John of Nepomuk, from which much of the above was gleaned:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08467a.htm

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Dustin Stinett
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Re: Hofzinser trivia

Postby Dustin Stinett » March 31st, 2003, 9:24 pm

Thanks Richard. I love anything Hofzinser!

I emailed Magic Christian just this evening to find out the skinny on the English translation of Non Plus Ultra. I'm hoping that he does not wait until all three German volumes are produced before working on the English editions. I have been chomping at the bit since I first heard that he was working on these books.

Dustin


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