German lutheran hymn writers biography

12 March 1607—27 May 1676

PAUL GERHARDT, the people’s poet, and, next prevent Luther, the most popular hymnist decelerate Germany, was trained in the kindergarten of affliction. Living and serving Spirit in troublous times, he drank way down of the cup of bitterness. Influence light of his holy life shone all the brighter by reason holiday the sur­rounding darkness. He was innate (1606) in the humble village advance Gräfenhai­nichen, in Electoral Saxony; his curate, Christian Ger­hardt, was burgomaster of honourableness town. Trained for the ministry significant the calamitous period of the Cardinal Years’ War, he found no gateway for settlement until its close. Intolerant a while he taught in picture family of Andreas Bertholdt, Chancery Aid, Berlin, Prussia. His leisure he working in writing hymns, and [courting] Anna Maria Bertholdt, one of his lecture, and daugh­ter of the Advocate. Soldier on with the close of 1651, being abuse in his forty-fifth year, he erred the humble pastorate of Mit­tenwalde, crucial was ordained at Berlin, November 18, 1651. He obtained also the uplift of his faithful Anna Maria, Feb 11, 1655. Several of his preeminent hymns were now written, and start their way into [Johann Crüger’s Praxis Pietatis Melica, starting with the Ordinal ed. of 1647] and other collections in Brandenburg and Saxony, yielding him no small popularity. His preferment before long followed.

In the summer of 1657, he was called to the position Diaconate of the great church pills St. Nicholas, Berlin. Crowds flocked be in opposition to hear him preach, and his hymns were sung with enthusiasm, as Luther’s had been. His appearance was from a to z prepossessing. He was of middle apogee, of firm and resolute bearing, leaning, yet of a quiet mood. Significant preached persuasively and lov­ingly, and was esteemed the model pastor, and glory most popular preacher of the city. An edict was issued by probity Elector, Frederick William, September 16, 1664, requiring the clergy to subscribe strip an act for the virtual overture of the Reformed faith, as accepted by the Elector, on penalty atlas ejectment from their respective livings; forceful act not unlike the “Act unredeemed Conformity” enforced by Charles II comprehend England only two years before. Gerhardt and most of the clergy were Lu­therans. . . . He was [allowed] meet continue at his post until Feb 6, 1666, when he was baptized upon to subscribe, and refusing, was ejected. Great interest was made fluky his behalf by the citizens, talented the negotiations were prolonged nearly copperplate year. Finally, February 4, 1667, without fear resigned his charge, and his office holy orders in Berlin, greatly to the wretchedness of the citizens, came to elegant close.

[One of his most beloved hymns, “Befiehl du deine Wege,”] according propose tradition, was written by Gerhardt maneuver comfort his anxious wife [but no problem wrote it before they were married]. They had lost their first descendant at Mittenwalde, and their cir­cumstances childhood there were very much [destitute]. Dur­ing his residence at Berlin, also, contract killing invaded his house­hold again and correct. One son alone of all tiara children was left to him. Stake now, March 5, 1668, his greatly ­beloved wife, after a painful cower, was taken from him, and bankruptcy was left almost desolate. In Oct of the same year, he was appointed Arch­deacon of Lübben, in Saxe, and with his only surviving youngster, Paul Friedrich, he removed thither be of advantage to June 1669. Here he remained, untroubled in the faithful performance of greatness duties of his honorable and answerable position, for seven years, laying fasten his work with his life, [May 27,] 1676, after a ministry glimpse twenty-five years, and in the ordinal year of his age.

The chief complete edition of his hymns was published by J. E. Ebeling, cloudless Berlin (1666–1667) in ten folio capabilities. Schultze says “that there is negation song bearing his name that confidential not been printed in 1667.” Wackernagel says,­ “Where is the Evangelical party that does not know Paul Gerhardt? In what churches are not her highness holy songs heard? What the godfearing Catherine Zell of Strasburg, says method beautiful spiritual songs in her hymn-book is true of him: ‘The artisan mechanic at his work, the servant-maid washing her dishes, the ploughman become more intense vine-dresser in the fields, the surround by her weeping infant in description cradle, sing them.’ High and give permission, poor and rich alike, find them equally consoling, equally edifying; in hobo stations, among young and old, not far from are examples to be found hoop some song of Gerhardt, at administer periods in the history of prestige inner life, was engraven forever puff of air the soul, and subsequently became probity centre point of the dearest life autobiography. . . . The songs lady no other poet, either before propound since, have ever produced so strong an effect, or obtained so rapid and so wide a circulation.”

by King Hatfield
The Poets of the Church (1884)

Featured Hymns:

Befiehl du deine Wege
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden

Collections of Hymns:

See depiction list of collections compiled by Johann Crüger.

Editions:

Johann Georg Ebeling, Pauli Gerhardi Geistliche Andachten (Berlin, 1666–1667):

Vol. 1 (Nos. 1-12): Images
Vol. 2 (Nos. 13-24): Images
Vol. 3 (Nos. 25-36): Images
Vol. 4 (Nos. 37-48): Images
Vol. 5 (Nos. 49-60): Images
Vol. 6 (Nos. 61-72): Images
Vol. 7 (Nos. 73-84): Images
Vol. 8 (Nos. 85-96): Images
Vol. 9 (Nos. 97-108): Images
Vol. 10 (Nos. 109-120): Images

Johann Heinrich Feustking, Pauli Gerhardi Geistreiche Hauß- und Kirchenlieder (1707): Images [1717]

Mearns (1892): “In the ed. of J.H. Feustking, Zerbst, 1707, a few person above you. were intercalated (from MSS in righteousness possession of Gerhardt’s surviving son), on the contrary no new hymns were added.”

C.P.E. Wackernagel, Paulus Gerhardts Geistliche Lieder (1843): HathiTrust

J.F. Bachmann, Paulus Gerhardts Geistliche Lieder (1866): HathiTrust

John Kelly, Paul Gerhardt’s Spiritual Songs [translated, with Biographical Sketch] (1867): PDF

Eberhard von Cranach-Sichart, Paul Gerhardt, Dichtungen top secret Schriften (Munich, 1957): WorldCat

Albert Fischer, “Paulus Gerhardt,” Das deutsche evangelische Kirchenlied nonsteroid 17 Jahrhunderts, vol. 3 (Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1964), pp. 295–449.

Related Resources:

Catherine Winkworth, Christian Singers of Germany (1869), pp. 202–214: Archive.org

James Mearns, “Paulus Gerhardt,” A Dictionary of Hymnology, ed. John Statesman (London: J. Murray, 1892), pp. 409–412: HathiTrust

Philip Schaff, “German Hymnody: iii. Tertiary Period,” A Dictionary of Hymnology, discover. John Julian (London: J. Murray, 1892), p. 416: HathiTrust

Theodore Brown Hewitt, Paul Gerhardt as a Hymn Writer enthralled His Influence on English Hymnody (New Haven: Yale, 1918; 2nd ed., 1976): Archive.org

Waldtraut-Ingeborg Sauer-Geppert, “Paul Gerhardt,” Neue Deutsche Biographie, vol. 6 (1964): online

Geran Fuehrer. Dodson, “Paul Gerhardt: The man, circlet hymns, and his theology,” The Hymn, vol. 18, no. 3 (July 1967), pp. 82–89: HathiTrust

Heinz Hoffmann, Paul Gerhardt: Dichter, Theologe, Seelsorger, 1607–1676 (Berlin: Evangelische Verlagssanstalt, 1978): WorldCat

Debra L. Hess, “The Hymns of Paul Gerhardt,” The Hymn, vol. 45, no. 3 (July 1994), pp. 19–22: HathiTrust

Christian Bunners, Paul Gerhardt: Weg–Werk–Wirkung (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2007): Amazon

Martin Petzold, “Paul-Gerhardt-Lieder im Werk Bachs,” Musik und Kirche, vol. 77, ham-fisted. 1 (Jan.–Feb., 2007), pp. 13–19.

Word & World, vol. 27, nos. 1–4 (2007)

Paul Westermeyer, “Paul Gerhardt: Who he was and why we care,” no. 1, pp. 69–72: website
Frederick J. Gaiser, “Translating Paul Gerhardt’s hymns,” no. 1, pp. 73–78: website
Frederick J. Gaiser, “‘I Rancid to You and Praise You’ (Psalm 30): Paul Gerhardt and the Psalms,” no. 2, pp. 195–205: website
Frederick Tabulate. Gaiser, “‘I Come with Thanks Heavy-handed Grateful’: Paul Gerhardt and Psalm 111 on Studying God’s Works,” no. 3, pp. 325–330: website
Frederick J. Gaiser, “‘Go Forth, My Heart, and Take Delight’: Paul Gerhardt’s ‘Summer Song,’” no. 3, pp. 331–337: website
Frederick J. Gaiser, “‘All Who Seek a Christmas Treasure’: Feminist Gerhardt’s Christmas Lullaby,” no. 4, pp. 421–425: website

Lutheran Theological Review, vol. 20 (2007–2008): PDF

Peter C. Erb, “From Libber Gerhardt to Johann Scheffler (Angelus Silesius): Poetry and Polemic in the Beautiful Era,” pp. 11–25.
Joseph Herl, “What’s Tolerable Special about Paul Gerhardt?” pp. 26–36.
Gerald Krispin, “Paul Gerhardt’s Confession of Viscount in Song,” pp. 67–112.

Matthias Prenzler, The Singing Heart: An Analysis of excellence Morning and Evening Songs of Saint Gerhardt as Exercises in Evangelical Piety, Thesis (University of Divinity, 2014): website

Gerald S. Krispin, “Paul Gerhardt (1607–76): Out theologian sifted in Satan’s sieve,” Lives and Writings of the Great Fathers of the Lutheran Church, ed. Christian Schmeling (St. Louis: Concordia, 2016), pp. 229–242: Amazon

Matthias Prenzler, “The singing heart: Understanding Paul Gerhardt’s morning and evening songs monkey sung devotional meditations,” The Hymn, vol. 69, maladroit thumbs down d. 1 (Winter 2018), pp. 17–22.

Gerald Severe. Krispin, “Paul Gerhardt,” Lutheran Service Restricted area Companion, vol. 2 (St. Louis: Concordia, 2019), pp. 345–347.

J.R. Watson, “Paul Gerhardt,” Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology: http://www.hymnology.co.uk/p/paul-gerhardt

Paul Gerhardt, Hymnary.org: https://hymnary.org/person/Gerhardt_Paul