Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/165

* BIEMANN. active until 1S78, wlien lie became university lecturer on music at Leipzij;. As the much-de- sired appointment at the Conservatory did not follow, he went, in 1880, as teacher of music to Bromberg; and, from 1881 to 1890, was teacher at the Hamburg Conservatory. After a short career at the iSondershausen Conservatory he went, in 1890., to the Conservatory at Wies- baden. Near the close of 1895 he returned to Leipzig as lecturer at the universitj'. In 1901 he became professor. Besides composing many piano- forte pieces, songs, a pianofoi'te sonata, si. son- atinas, a violin sonata, and a quartet for strings, he furnished after 1870 many critical, a?sthetical, theoretical, and historical papers for journals. He also compiled a popular and eminentlv sound Musik-LexiKun (I8S2; 5th ed.*1899; Eng', trans., 1893-9G). KIEMENSCHNEIDER, re'menshni'der, Tn.- MAX (c.l4ii0-15.31 ). A German sculptor of the Renaissance. He was born at Osterode, in the Harz ilountains, and in 1483 appears at Wiirz- burg as a journeyman carver. He soon became one of the most influential citizens, being elected Burgomaster in 1520. In the re- ligous troubles during the following years Eiemenschneider was the head of the reforming element and sided with the peasants during the Peasant Yar. When the reaction came in 1525 he was expelled from the council, and from this time until his death in 1531 he lived in retire- ment. His principal works include the monu- ment to Eljerhard of Gruuibach. in the Church of Rimpar (near Wiirzburg) ; ""Adam and Eve" (1493) on the south portal of the Liebfrauen- kirche at Wiirzburg, and the statues of Christ, John the Baptist, and the Apostles on the but- tresses of the same church (1500-06); a Ma- donna and the tomb of John Trithemius in the Xeumiinsterkirche (1493); the portrait statues of the Bishops Rudolf of Scheeren- burg and Lorenz von Bilira in the Cathedral. His masterpiece is the monument to the Emperor Henry II. and his wife Kunigunde in the Bamberg Cathedral (1495-1513). Other well-known works are the "Bewailing of the Body of Christ" ( 150S ), a group in the church of Heidingsfeld, and his last work ( 1505), a high relief of the same sub- ject in the church of Maidbrunn. Consult his biography bv K. Becker (Leipzig, 1849). and A. Weber' (Wiirzburg. 1888), and the heliotvpe edition of his works by Streit (Berlin. 1888). RIEMER, re'nier, Friedrich Wilhelm (1774- 1845). A German scholar and literary historian, born at Glatz. He studied theology and philology at Halle, was a tutor in the family of Wilhelm von Humboldt (1801-03), and then for nine years lived with Goethe as his literary assistant and his son's tutor. In 1812 he became professor at the Weimar gymnasium; from 1814 to 1820 he was assistant librarian, and from 1837 to his death he was librarian-in-chief at Weimar. Eiemer published some poetry, a CJreek lexicon {S02-0i) , and 31 itteiluitffcn iiber Goethr (1841). He edited Goethe's correspondence with Zelter (1833-34), and his own letters were published in two volumes, Brief e vo-n und an Goethe (1846) and in Aiis dem Goethehause (1892, edited by Heitmiiller). RIENZI, re-en'ze. Cola m (c.1313-54). A Roman popular leader. He was born at Rome. 145 RIENZI. Until his twentieth year he lived among the peasants of Anagni; then he returne.l to his native city, where he studied grammar and rhet- oric and read the Latin classics. The assassina- tion of his brother by a Uonuin noble (inally de- termined him to deliver the city from the barbar- ous thralldom of the barons." lie assumed the significant title of 'consul of orphans, widows, and the ]i<)in' In 1343 he was appointed by the heads of the Guelph party spokesman or orator of a deputation sent to the Papal Court at Avignon to beseech Clement 'I. to return to Rome in order to protect the citizens from the tyranny of their oppressors. Here he formed a close friendship with Petrarch, through whose a.ssislance he ob- tained a favorable hearing from his Holiness, who appointed him notary to the city chamber. In April, 1344, Rienzi returned to Rome; but reform, he found, was impossible without revolu- tion. During tliree years he loudly and openly menaced the nobles, who. thinking him niaJ, took no steps to crush him. At last on May 20, 1347, surrounded by 100 hor.semen and accom- panied by the Papal legate. Rienzi delivered a magnificent discourse and proposed a series of laws for the better government of the community, which were unanimously approved. The aristo- cratic senators were driven out of the city, and Rienzi took the title of 'tribune of liberty, peace, and justice,' and chose the Papal legate for his colleague. Rienzi dispatched messengers to the various Italian States, requesting them to send deputies to Rome to consult for the general interests of the peninsula, and to devise measures for its unification. These messengers were everywhere received with enthusiasm, and on August 1. 1347, 200 deputies assembled in the l.ateran Church, where Rienzi declared that the choice of an Em- peror of the Holy Roman Empire belonged to the Roman people, and suinnioned Louis the Ba- varian and Charles of Luxemburg, who were then disputants for the dignity, to appear before him. The step was wildly impolitic. The Pope was indignant at the transference of authority from himself to his subjects; and the barons gathered together their forces and renewed their devasta- tions. After ineffectual resistance Rienzi re- signed his functions and withdrew from Rome. His tenure of power had lasted only seven months. In the solitudes of the Xeapolitan Aiien- nines, Rienzi joined an Order of Franciscan lier- mits, and spent nearly two years in exercises of piety and penitence — all the while, however, cherishing the hope that he would one day 'de- liver' Rome again. This ambition made him readily listen to a brother monk, who declared that Rienzi was destined, by the help of the Emperor Charles IV., to introduce a new era of happiness into the world. Rienzi betook himself at once to Prague, and announced to the Em- peror that in a year and a half a new hierarchy would be established in the Church, and under a new Pope Charles would reign in the west and Rienzi in the east. Charles put the ■prophet" in prison, and then informed the Pope of the mat- ter. In July. 1351. Kienzi was transferred to Avignon, where proceedings were opened against him. and he was condemned to death, but his life was spared and the next two years were spent in easy confinement in the French Papal city. Meanwhile at Rome the great families were