Felix Faber

From the Catholic Encyclopedia

German writer, born about 1441 at Zurich, of a famous family commonly known as Schmid; died in 1502 at Ulm, Germany. He made his early studies under the Dominicans at Basle and Ulm, where he spent the greater part of his life. He became a master of sacred theology, was head preacher at Ulm during 1477-78, became provincial of the German province in 1486, attended two general chapters of his order in 1480, and made a pilgrimage to Palestine and Syria in 1483-4. He wrote two accounts of his travels, one in German (Ulm, 1556); the other in Latin. The former is rather brief; the other is very complete and accurate in its descriptions of the places visited, and is of great value to students of Palestinian topography, who recognize Faber as the most distinguished and learned writer of the fifteenth century. This work was republished by the Stuttgart Literary Society in three octavo volumes (1843-49) under the title, "Fr. Felicis Fabri Evagatorium in Terræ Sanctæ, Arabiæ et Ægypti peregrinationem". He was also the author of a versified pilgrim's book, edited by Birlinger (Munich, 1864). In 1489 Faber completed a history of the Swiss (Historia Suevorum) down tothat year. Goldast, in his preface to the Frankfort edition of 1604 (later ed., Ulm, 1727), says of him that he was praised by few but copied by many. Faber translated a life of Blessed Henry Suso from the Latin. Some of his manuscripts are still unpublished.

ARTHUR L. McMAHON