Ritter (German for " knight ") is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second-lowest rank within the nobility , standing above " Edler " and below " Freiherr " ( Baron ). As with most titles and designations within the nobility in German-speaking areas, the rank was hereditary and generally was used with the nobiliary particle of von or zu before a family name.
7-472: Ludwig Alois Friedrich Ritter von Köchel ( German: [ˈkœçəl] ; 14 January 1800 – 3 June 1877) was an Austrian musicologist , writer, composer, botanist , and publisher. He is best known for cataloguing the works of Mozart and originating the 'KV-numbers' by which they are known ( KV for Köchel-Verzeichnis ). Born in the town of Stein , Lower Austria , he studied law in Vienna and graduated with
14-554: A barony and designated as " Freiherr ". Even today, members of the Central European Order of St. George , which goes back to Emperor Maximilian and was later reactivated by the Habsburgs after its dissolution by Nazi Germany , are "Ritter" (knights). In addition to the described system, Württemberg introduced orders of merit beginning in the late 18th century, which also conferred nobility as "Ritter von" but kept
21-659: A PhD in 1827. For fifteen years, he was tutor to the four sons of Archduke Charles of Austria . Köchel was rewarded with a knighthood and a generous financial settlement, permitting him to spend the rest of his life as a private scholar. Contemporary scientists were greatly impressed by his botanical researches in North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula , the United Kingdom, the North Cape , and Russia. In addition to botany, he
28-581: A Ritter was called a " Frau " (in this sense "Lady") and not Ritterin. In heraldry, from the late 18th century, a Ritter was often indicated by the use of a coronet with five points, But not everyone who was a Ritter and displayed arms made use of such a coronet. In the Austrian Empire and in Austria-Hungary , the title of "Ritter von" was bestowed upon citizens who deserved more than the plain "von" but were not considered deserving enough as to be given
35-469: The "Jupiter" symphony, Symphony No. 41 , KV. 551. At the same time that Köchel was writing his catalogue Otto Jahn was making a comprehensive collection of Mozart works and writing a scholarly biography of Mozart. When Jahn learned of Köchel's work he turned over his collection to him. Köchel dedicated his catalogue to Jahn. Moreover, Köchel arranged Mozart's works into twenty-four categories, which were used by Breitkopf & Härtel when they published
42-514: The first complete edition of Mozart's works from 1877 to 1910, a venture partly funded by Köchel. He also catalogued the works of Johann Fux . Ritter For its historical association with warfare and the landed gentry in the Middle Ages , the title of Ritter can be considered roughly equal to the titles of " Knight ", but it is hereditary like the British title of " Baronet ". The wife of
49-636: Was interested in geology and mineralogy , but also loved music, and was a member of the Mozarteum Salzburg . He died of cancer at age 77 in Vienna. In 1862 he published the Köchel catalogue , a chronological and thematic register of the works of Mozart. This catalogue was the first on such a scale and with such a level of scholarship behind it; it has since undergone revisions. Mozart's works are often referred to by their KV-numbers ( cf. opus number ); for example,
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