HONTHEIM, JOHANN NIKOLAUS VON (17oI 179o), German historian and theologian, was born of noble family on Jan. 2 7, 1701, at Trier. He was educated at Trier, Louvain and Leyden, and after travelling extensively in Europe, spent three years in Rome, where he was ordained priest in 1728. Returning to Trier as canon, he became a professor at the university in 1732, but six years later went to Coblenz as official to the archbishop elector. In 1747, broken down by overwork, he retired to St. Simeon's at Trier, and in May 1748 was appointed auxiliary bishop and vicar-general. He was consecrated at Mainz, in Feb. under the title of bishop of Myriophiri in partibus. The arch bishop of Trier was practically a great secular prince, and upon Hontheim fell the whole spiritual administration of the diocese; this work, in addition to that of pro-chancellor of the university, he carried on single-handed until 1778. Hontheim died on Sept. 2, 179o, at his château at Montquentin near Orval.
As a historian his reputation rests on his Historia Trevirensis diplomatica et pragmatica (3 vols., 175o), and his Prodromus historiae trevirensis (2 vols., The Historiae scriptorunt et monumentarum Trevirensis amplissima collectio, remains in ms. at the city library of Trier. It is, however, as "Febronius" that Hontheim is best remembered. The character of his book on "the state of the church and the lawful power of the Roman pontiff" is described elsewhere (see FEBRONIANISM). The author of the book was known at Rome almost as soon as it was published; but it was not till some years afterwards (17 78) that he was called on to retract. The removal of the censure followed (1781) when Hontheim published at Frankfort his Justini Febronii acti com mentarius in suam retractationem, etc.
See 0. Mejer, Febronius, Weihbischof Johann Nikolaus von Hon theim and sein Widerruf (Tubingen, 188o), and article in Allgemeine deutsche Biographie 0880.