Pfister, Adolf, educationist, b. at Hechingen in Hohenzollern, 26 Sept., 1810; d. at Ober-Dischingen in Wiirtemberg, 29 April, 1878. He was educated at the Latin school at Hechingen, at the Lyceum of Rastatt, and later at Sasbach. He then studied theology at the Grand Seminary of Strasburg, and was ordained to the priesthood, 25 May, 1833, at Freiburg. After serving for five months as curate at Sasbach, and for a year as assistant at the cathedral of Freiburg, he returned to Hohenzollern, and, from 1835 to 1838, was curate at Steinhofen near Hechingen. In 1838 he obtained civic rights in Würtemberg, and as a priest of the Diocese of Rottenburg, he was pastor first in Dotternhausen; 31 Jan., 1839, at Rosswangen; 11 May, 1841, at Risstissen; from 1851 also school inspector in Ehingen. On 12 Aug., 1867, the Catholic theological faculty of Tübingen granted him the degree of Doctor of Theology. In May, 1877, he withdrew to Ober-Dischingen. In 1857 he founded the “Rottenburger Kirchenblatt”, which he published for three years. From 1860 he edited the “Katholisches Schulwochenblatt” Spaichingen), which, together with Hermann Rolfus, he continued as “Süddeutsches katholisches Schulwochenblatt” (1861-67), and with J. Haug and Fr. J. Knecht as “Magazin für Pädagogik” (1868-72). But his most valuable work was the editing with Rolfus of the “Real-Encyclopädie des Erziehungs- und Unterrichtswesens nach katholischen Principien” (4 vols., Mainz, 1863-66; 2nd ed., 1872-1874; a 5th vol., “Ergänzungsband”, was published by Rolfus alone in 1884 after Pfister’s death). Among Pfister’s other writings may be mentioned: “Unterricht tiber das Werk der Glaubensverbreitung” (Freiburg, 1850); a German translation of Thomas 4 Kempis, “ Vier Bücher von der Nachfolge Christi’ (Freiburg, 1860; 4th ed., 1873); and “ Kinderlegende” (Freiburg, 1863) ; he also compiled several prayer-books.
ROLFUS AND PFISTER, Real-Encyclopädie des Erziehungs- und Unterrichtswesens, Ergänzungsband (Mainz, 1884), 265-7; KEHREIN, Biographisch-literarisches Lexicon der katholischen deutschen. Dichter, Volks-und- und Jugendschriftseller im 19. Jahrhundert, II (würzburg, 1871), 9; Neuur, Personal-Katalog der Geistlichen des Bisthums Rottenburg (3rd ed., Schwabisch Gmiind, 1894), 54.
Friedrich Lauchert.