The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Fischer, Joseph

FISCHER, Joseph, German clergyman and cartographer: b. Quadrath, Rhein, Germany, 19 March 1858. He was educated at the gymnasium, Rhein, Westphalia, and the universities of Münster, Munich, Innsbruck and Vienna, and Jesuit scholasticates in Holland, Austria and England. In 1881 he entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained to the priesthood in 1891. Since 1895 he has been professor of geography and history at Stella Matutina College, Feldkirch. His scientific achievements comprise the discovery of the maps of Waldseemüller of 1507 and 1516 and of Jodocus Hondius in Wolfegg Castle, Württemberg in 1891. In 1903-04, and again in 1909-10, he visited Italy, France and England as member of the Austrian Institute of Historical Studies for the purpose of cartographical research. He has published ‘Die Beziehungen Kaiser Rudolfs II zu Erzherzog Matthias bis zum Vertage von Lieben’ (1608); ‘Der sogennante Schottwiener Vertrag vom Jahre 1600’ (1897); ‘Der Linzer Tag vom Jahre 1605 in seiner Bedeutung für die Österreichische Haus und Reichsgeschichte’ (1898); ‘Die Entdeckungen der Normannen in America’ (1902; Engl. trans., 1903); ‘Die älteste Karte mit dem Namen America A.D. 1507, und die Carta Marina aus dem Jahre 1516 des M. Waldseemüller’ (German and English eds., 1903); ‘Map of the World by Jodocus Hondius, 1611’ (1907); ‘Introduction of the Cosmographiæ Introductio of Martin Waldseemüller’ (1907); ‘Der “deutsche Ptolemäus” um 1490’ (1910). He collaborated in Jahrbuch des historischen Vereins von Liechtenstein (1910) and contributed to the Innsbrucker theologische Zeitschrift, Innsbrucker Fernandeums Zeitschrift, ‘Historical Records and Studies,’ ‘Göttinger Gelehrte Anzeigen,’ ‘The Catholic Encyclopedia,’ and ‘Stimmen aus Maria-Laach.’