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Encke, Johann Franz

(Encyclopedia)Encke, Johann Franz yōˈhän fränts ĕngˈkə [key], 1791–1865, German astronomer. He was assistant (1816–22) and director (1822–25) of the observatory at Seeberg (near Gotha) and director (fr...

Lenbach, Franz von

(Encyclopedia)Lenbach, Franz von fränts fən lānˈbäkh [key], 1836–1904, German portrait painter. He studied in Munich and Rome and from 1863 to 1868 worked as a copyist of old masters in Italy and Spain. His ...

Sickingen, Franz von

(Encyclopedia)Sickingen, Franz von fränts fən zĭˈkĭngən [key], 1481–1523, German knight. Placed under the ban of the Holy Roman Empire because of his profitable forays along the Rhine, he served King Franci...

Delitzsch, Franz

(Encyclopedia)Delitzsch, Franz fränts dāˈlĭch [key], 1813–90, German Lutheran theologian and Hebraist. He was professor of theology at Rostock from 1846 to 1850, at Erlangen until 1867, and later at Leipzig. ...

Franz, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Franz, Robert rōˈbĕrt fränts [key], 1815–92, German composer of about 350 lieder, intimate songs, usually in strophic form. The first of them (pub. 1843) drew warm praise from Schumann. Franz ch...

Franz Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Franz Joseph, emperor of Austria and king of Hungary: see Francis Joseph. ...

Grillparzer, Franz

(Encyclopedia)Grillparzer, Franz fränts grĭlˈpärtsər [key], 1791–1872, Austrian dramatist. His work combines German classicism and exuberant lyricism. Considered Austria's greatest playwright, he wrote Der T...

Gruber, Franz

(Encyclopedia)Gruber, Franz fräntsˈ gro͞oˈbər [key], 1787–1863, Austrian organist. On Christmas Eve in 1818 he composed his one published work, the music for the poem Silent Night by the local curate, Josef ...

Jonas, Franz

(Encyclopedia)Jonas, Franz fränts yōˈnäs [key], 1899–1974, Austrian Socialist politician. Jonas was mayor of Vienna (1951–65) and a member of parliament (1962–65). In 1965 he was elected president, and in...

Kafka, Franz

(Encyclopedia)Kafka, Franz fränts käfˈkä [key], 1883–1924, German-language novelist, b. Prague. Along with Joyce, Kafka is perhaps the most influential of 20th-century writers. From a middle-class Jewish fami...