Johann Balthasar Schupp
Johann Balthasar Schupp (1610-1661) was a German scholar and cleric, born in Giessen, Hesse. He pursued studies in philosophy at the University of Marburg before traveling extensively through Poland, Livonia, Prussia, and Denmark, seeking alternative educational experiences. During his time in Denmark, Schupp developed an interest in mnemotechny, influenced by poet Johann Lauremberg and his brother, Peter Lauremberg, a professor at the University of Rostock, where Schupp earned his master’s degree in 1632. Returning to Marburg, he began teaching and produced satirical works critiquing the art of rhetoric, with "Orator ineptus" gaining particular popularity.
Schupp later turned to theology, securing a licentiate degree and becoming a minister at the Church of Saint Elisabeth in Marburg, where he published a collection of hymns in 1643. He completed his doctor of divinity degree in 1645 and was involved in the Thirty Years’ War peace negotiations in 1648. After moving to Hamburg following the death of his first wife, Schupp married again in 1651. His later works, primarily written in German, reflected moral themes and were aimed at a broader audience, contrasting with his earlier academic Latin writings.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Johann Balthasar Schupp
- Born: March 1, 1610
- Birthplace: Giessen, Hesse, Germany
- Died: October 26, 1661
- Place of death: Hamburg, Germany
Biography
Johann Balthasar Schupp was born in 1610 in Giessen, a small town in Hesse, Germany, the son of Johann Eberhart Schupp, a wealthy city councilor, and Anna Elisabeth (Russ) Schupp. He received a fine education as a child and studied philosophy at the University of Marburg beginning in 1625. Unhappy with traditional university teaching and education, Schupp departed Hesse in 1628 to attend schools in Poland, Livonia, Prussia, and Denmark. In Denmark, Schupp met poet Johann Lauremberg, whose brother, University of Rostock professor Peter Lauremberg, greatly influenced Schupp and spurred his interest in mnemotechny, the art of memory; Schuff would later lecture on mnemotechny in Marburg.
Schupp completed a master of arts degree from the University of Rostock in 1632. He returned to Marburg, where he studied theology and presented a lecture, Oratiuncula, which was published in 1632. Schupp traveled widely before returning to Marburg in 1635 to accept a teaching position at the university. In 1635, he married Anna Elisabeth Helwig, with whom he had four children.
While teaching rhetoric at the university, Schupp wrote satires about the act of debating frivolous topics. One of these satirical publications, Orator ineptus (the clumsy orator), first published in 1638, was among his most popular works. In 1641, Schupp returned to theological studies and earned a licentiate degree, becoming a minister at the Church of Saint Elisabeth in Marburg. Here, he composed a book of hymns, PassionLieder è Museo, published in 1643. Now committed to a career in the clergy, Schupp completed his doctor of divinity degree in December, 1645, and resigned his position at the university. One of his final works in Latin, De arte ditescendi (1648), addressed the problems of poverty.
In 1648, Schupp was sent as an ambassador to the Thirty Years’ War peace negotiations in Münster; at the Swedish chancellor’s request, Schupp offered a sermon of thanks when the negotiations finished. Soon thereafter, he and his family moved to Hamburg, where he had been offered a ministerial position. Schupp’s first wife died in 1650, and in November, 1651, he married Sophia Eleonora Reinking. Overall, Schupp’s best-known works are his German-language moral satires, aimed at a general audience and written late in his career. Almost all of his earlier works had been composed in Latin and intended for academic audiences.