Diel, Johannes

Catholic clergyman, writer on local history

Born: 11.02.1862 in Lorch

Died: 16.03.1929 in Hattenheim

Diel studied theology at the University of Bonn, was ordained a priest in Limburg in 1887 and worked as a chaplain in Wirges near Montabaur in 1888, in Weilbach in 1889, in Höchst am Main in 1890 and from December 1890 as an early sacristan in Hattersheim am Main. At that time, he began writing for the "Kölnische Volkszeitung" and the "Rheinische Volkszeitung". In 1899, he became parish priest of the Catholic Herz-Jesu-Parish of Sonnenberg, which also included the villages of Bierstadt, Rambach, Kloppenheim, Igstadt and Heßloch.

The problem of mixed marriages, which was considered serious at the time, prompted him to have eight-day popular missions conducted by Capuchin priests in Sonnenberg in 1904 and 1907.

During Diel's time in office in Sonnenberg, the organ was installed in the parish church in 1900, the tower clock was installed in 1906 and, at his instigation, a second Catholic teacher was employed at the Sonnenberg elementary school in 1913. In 1903, he wrote a carefully compiled parish chronicle of Sonnenberg. In 1911, Diel was transferred to Hattenheim in the Rheingau and was appointed dean in 1923.

Diel was already highly regarded as a writer during his lifetime. His strength was the feuilleton, the short, polished and sometimes satirical essay. He chose almost all of his material from nature or from his Nassau homeland, including old Nassau customs and folk traditions. He was also fascinated by the life of Katharina Kasper, the founder of a religious order, the bard couple Philipp and Lisbeth Keim and the Hadamar Revolution of 1848.

Diel's essays and feuilletons, published almost exclusively in the daily press, most of which were written in Sonnenberg and the bibliographical compilation of which is still pending, have retained their value and are regarded as evidence of one of the best local writers in the Nassau region.