MULLER, JOHANNES VON (1752-1809), Swiss his torian, was born on Jan. 3, 1752, at Neunkirch, near Schaffhausen, where his father was pastor. From 1774 to 1780 he lived at Geneva where he produced his Allgemeine Geschichte, a brilliant study of universal history (not published till 1810). In 1780 he completed the first volume of his Geschichten der Schweizer, bear ing the imprint of Boston, U.S.A., on account of difficulties with the Swiss censor. His Reisen der Piipste appeared in 1782.
In 1786 he became librarian to the elector-archbishop of Mainz, who obtained his elevation to nobility from the emperor in 1791. In June 1786 he issued vol. i. (reaching to 1412) and two years later vol. ii. (to 1436) of the definitive form of his Swiss history.
After the capture of Mainz by the French (1792), he entered the service of the emperor Leopold as an imperial aulic council lor. At Vienna he became chief librarian of the imperial library in 1800, and in 1795 he issued vol. iii. (to 1443) of his Swiss history. In 1804 he became historiographer, war councillor and member of the Academy at Berlin. In 18o5 vol. iv. (to 1475) appeared. But in 1806 he became strongly inclined towards Napoleon, from whom he accepted (end of 1807) the office of secretary of State for the kingdom of Westphalia. At the end of i8o8 he published vol. v. (to 1489) of his great work. He died
at Cassel on May 29, 1809. His Swiss Fistory, based largely on the chronicles of Tschudi (q.v.), now p Dssesses a literary value only, but it remarkably stimulated Swiss patriotism.
Miller's Werke were published at Tubingen, in 27 vols. (1810 19), and re-issued, in 4o vols., at Stuttgart (1831-35). The Swiss History was re-issued at Leipzig and ZUrich, in 15 vols. (1824– 53), with continuations by other hands. A French translation of the German edition appeared, in 18 vols., at Paris and Geneva (1837-51). His Universal History was translated into English by J. C. Prichard (1818).
See A. H. L. Heeren, J. von Muller der Historiker (1809) ; J. M. H. Leben (1835) ; C. Monnard, Biographie (1839) ; H. W. J. Thiersch, Ober J. von Muller and seinen handschriftlichen Nachlass (1881) ; C. Henking, J. von Muller (1909 and 1928). F. Schwarz's pamphlet J. von Miller and seine Schweizergeschichte (Bale, 1884) traces the genesis of the History. See also: J. Miller's Briefe, edit. J. H. Filsslin (Zurich, 1812) ; and those to Ch. Bonnet, etc. (Stuttgart, 1835) ; Briefe, edit. Maurer-Constant, 6 vols. (Schaffhausen 1839-40) ; Der Briefwechsel der Brider J. G. Muller and J. von Miller, 2 vols. (1893).