German canonist and pedagogist, b. of simple countryfolk on 6 March, 1821, at Warthausen, Biberach, Würtemberg; d. at Tübingen, 25 January, 1897. He first attended the Latin school in the neighbouring town of Biberach, and subsequently, in accordance with the course prescribed for Catholic theologians of the Diocese of Rottenburg, entered the preparatory seminary at Ethigen on the Danube. From 1840 to 1844 he pursued his studies in the seminary (Wilhelmsstift) of Tubingen, and on 4 September, 1845, was ordained priest in Rottenberg. After only half a year's activity in the cure of souls at Ulm, Franz Kober became a tutor in seminary at Tubingen, and lectured on philology and the Pautine Epistles. From 1848 he taught canon law, to counteract the evil influence of the Josephinist professor Warnkonig, of the faculty of law, on which Catholic theological students even in Würtemberg had depended for the training in canon law according to a custom existing in Austria since Joseph II. On 28 January, 1851, Kober became professor extraordinary in the faculty of Catholic theology, teaching pedagogy, didactics, and the Pauline Epistles. He was appointed professor ordinary of canon law and pedagogy on 8 Septernber, 1857, having been professor extraordinary since 19 April, 1853. As such he wrote with good historico-legal method some excellent works: "Der Kirchenbann" (1857); "Die Suspension der Kirchendiener" (1862); "Die Deposition und Degradation" (1867). He also treated various ecclesiastico-criminal subjects ("Das Interdikt"; "Die körperliche Züchtigung als kirchliches Strafmittel gegen Kleriker und Mönche", "Die Gefangnisstrafe gegen Kleriker und Mönche"; "Die Geldstrafen im Kirchenrecht") in a series of essays, the majority being lengthy treatises, published in the "Archiv fur katholisches Kirchenrecht" and especially in the "Theologische Quartalschrift" of Tubingen. In the last-named periodical appeared other essays on canon law ("Der Ursprung und die rechtliche Stellung der Generalvikare"; "Der Einfluss der Kirche und ihrer Gesetzgebung auf Gesittung, Humanität und Zivilisation", "Medizin und Kirchenrecht"; "Die Residenz-pflicht der Kirehendiener bei feindlichen Verfolgungen und ansteckenden Krankheiten") and many book-reviews. Kober was also a frequent contributor to the first and second edition of the Freiburg "Kirchenlexikon".

SÄGMÜLLER, Theolog. Quartalschr. LXXX (1897), 569 sqq.

JOHANNES BAPTIST SÄGMÜLLER