Munter, Friedrich Christian Karl Heinrich

Munter, Friedrich Christian Karl Heinrich a theologian, Orientalist, and archaeologist who gained great celebrity in Denmark, which became his country by adoption (see preceding article), was the son of Balthasar, and born at Gotha, Germany, October 14, 1761. He studied at Copenhagen and Gottingen, and in 1786 went to Italy. After his return, towards the end of 1788, he was appointed professor of theology at Copenhagen. He became successively co-director of the Orphan House in 1805 and bishop of Zealand in 1808. He died April 9, 1830. Munter wrote a number of works of great interest to the student of ecclesiastical archaeology, and yet he must be regarded really as more important as a savant than as a theologian. He founded the Museum of Northern Antiquities at Copenhagen, and left a valuable collection of coins and archeological works. He wrote, Metrische Uebersetzung der Offenbarung Johannis (Copenh. 1784; 2d ed. 1806): — achrichten u. Sicilien (Danish, 1788; German, 1790, 2 volumes): — Die Kirchlichen Alterthumer der Gnostiker (Ausb. 1790): — Magazin fur Kirchengesch. nu. Kirchenrecht des Nordens (Altona, 1792-96, 2 volumes): — Statutenbuch d. Tempelherrn (Berl. 1794): — Venrmischte Beitrige z. Kirchengeschichte (1798): — Handbuch der altesten christlichen Dogmengeschichte (Gottlungen, 1801; by Evers, 1802, 2 volumes): — Untersuchungen u.d. Persepolitan. Inschriften (1800, 1802): — Versuch i.d. Keilformigen Inschriften in Sicilien (Copenh. 1802): — Spuren Egyptischer Religionsbegriffe in Sicilien u.d. benachbarten Inseln (Prague, 1806): — Religion d. Carthager (Copenh. 1816; 2d ed. 1821): — Antiquarische Abhandlungen (Copenh. 1816): — Miscellanea Hafnensia theologici et philologici argunmenti (Copenh. 1816-25, 2 volumes): — Recherches sur l'origine des Ordres de chevalerie de Denmare (Copenh.

1822):Kirchengesch. v. Danemark u. Norwegen (Leips. 1823-34, 3 volumes): — Sinnbilder u. Kunstvorstellungen d. alten Christen (Altona, 1825): — Der Stern der Weisen (Untersuchung uber das Geburtsjahr Cristi) (Copenh. 1827): — Religion d. Babylonier (Copenh. 1827). See his life by Mynster, first in Studien u. Krit. 1833, 1:13-53; and later in book form (Copenh. 1834). — Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 10:98; Hoefer, Nonuv. Biog. Generale, 36:954; Piere, Universal-Lex. 11:544; Biblical Repos. 4:533. (J.N.P.)