Daniel Bonifacius von Haneberg

He began his classical course at Kempten, where he pursued the studies prescribed by the curriculum, and mastered several Semitic languages (Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Persian, and Ethiopic).

While a theological student, he cultivated Sanskrit and Chinese over and above the Semitic languages with which he was already acquainted, translated a few works of Cardinal Wiseman, contributed several essays and poems to various German periodicals, and prepared for the Catholic priesthood.

His lectures, wherein he displayed a solid learning, a constant discretion, and a deep piety, were attended with great profit and delight by an increasing number of students not only from Bavaria, but also from the other German States, and soon caused him to be regarded as one of the most prominent Catholic professors of his day.

After the dogma of papal infallibility had been solemnly proclaimed by the Council (18 July 1870), and publicly accepted by the German Bishops assembled at Fulda, (end of August, 1870), Hanneberg recanted his previous views on the topic.

At length, however, on his presentation by the King of Bavaria for the Bishopric of Spires and at the instance of the Sovereign Pontiff, the humble abbot accepted that see, and was consecrated 25 August 1872.

Besides these, his best-known works, he published several others which were chiefly the fruit of his Hebrew and Arabic studies, and formed his contribution to the Journal of the Oriental Society and to the transactions of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences of which he became a member in 1848.