Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer was a notable German poet and hymn writer born on July 11, 1635, in Naumburg, Saxony. Coming from a family of lawyers, Sacer received a comprehensive early education and progressed to study philosophy and literature at the University of Jena. He later moved to various positions including serving as a secretary to Baron von Blumenthal and tutoring the son of the Swedish Chancellor. Sacer's literary contributions began with his first published poem in 1659, and he became involved with literary societies that fostered his poetic endeavors.
In 1661, he published a treatise on poetic theory, advocating for a scholarly approach to poetry influenced by classical authors, a theme evident in his later work, "Reime dich oder ich fresse dich," which showcases his satirical style. After a stint in the military and law school, Sacer established a legal practice in Brunswick and married Marie Agnes Stockhausen, with whom he had five daughters. While he wrote extensively on literary criticism and religious poetry, he is primarily remembered for his hymns, including "Jesu, Meines Glaubens Zier," which was later set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach. Sacer's work reflects the literary culture of his time and the intertwining of poetry with personal and religious expression.
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Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
Writer
- Born: July 11, 1635
- Birthplace: Naumburg, Germany
- Died: September 8, 1699
Biography
Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer was born in the city of Naumburg, located in the Saxony region of Germany, on July 11, 1635. He came from a family of lawyers and his father, Andreas Sacer, had been a mayor and council chamberlain of Naumburg. Sacer received his early education from private tutors, and he later attended the Naumburg municipal school. Between 1649 and 1653, he studied at another school, Zur Pforte, focusing on language studies. He enrolled in the University of Jena in 1654, where he studied philosophy and literature.
After leaving the university, Sacer decided to go to Frankfurt. He traveled through Berlin where he met Gabriel Luther, councillor of the Hamburg Supreme Court. Luther introduced Sacer to Baron von Blumenthal, who in turn introduced him to Claus von Platen. Von Platen was a director at the Brandenburg war office, and he hired Sacer as his secretary.
In 1658, Sacer submitted several epigrams that he had written to Andreas Tscherning, a poetry professor at the University of Rostock. He asked Tscherning to review his work, and Tascherning sent him a letter of encouragement. The following year, Sacer published his first poem, a funeral tribute to Christian Lindholtz, that was included in a volume of texts written by other authors.
Sacer moved to Greiswald in 1659 to become a tutor to the son of Swedish Chancellor Freidrich Pohlen. In 1660, he was admitted as a member of the literary society Elbschwanenorden, or Order of Swans on the Elbe River. It is unclear if Sacer was also a member of another important literary society, the Fruchtbringede Gesellschaft, or the Fruit-Bringing Society.
Sacer published a treatise on poetic theory, Nutzliche Erinnerungen wegen der deutschen Poeterey, in 1661. In this treatise he argued that poets must be scholarly and follow the examples set by Greek and Latin authors. Similar to other German poets of his day, Sacer pleaded that poetry should be serious, not filled with useless words that are written simply to fill a meter. Many of these ideas reappeared in his later work, Reime dich, ode ich fresse dich, for which he is well known.
For the next several years, Sacer continued to work as a tutor for several families. In 1665, he entered the military and served for two years, first as a regimental secretary and later as an ensign. He tired of the military and enrolled in law school in Kiel in 1667. After graduating with his law degree, Sacer moved to Brunswick and started a legal practice. He married Marie Agnes Stockhausen in 1671, and they had five daughters.
Although Sacer wrote several books of literary criticism and published many religious poems, he is best known as a hymn writer. Sacer composed many hymns, mostly for his own private use. However, he presented twenty-four of his hymns to Duke Ferdinand Albrecht in 1686. Most notable among these hymns is “Jesu, Meines Glaubens Zier,” which was later set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1736.