Johann Klaj
Johann Klaj was a German poet and theologian born around 1616 in Meissen, Germany. He pursued his education at the University of Wittenburg, where he became involved in a literary circle that focused on religious themes, which likely influenced his later work. After further studies in Nuremberg, Klaj began to write and lecture on religion in 1643, gaining recognition and being admitted to the prestigious Nuremberg Patriziats. In 1644, he co-founded the Pegnitz Order, a literary society that continues to exist today. Klaj served as the master of the Sebaldus School in Nuremberg before being sent to Kitzingen to preach, where he remained until his death in 1656. He was a significant figure in a group of experimental poets that contributed to Nuremberg's reputation as a hub for seventeenth-century German literature. His most notable works are religious verse dramas, including "Hollen-und Himmelfahrt Jesv Chrjstj" (1644) and "Herodes, der Kindermörder" (1645), showcasing his dedication to intertwining poetic expression with theological themes.
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Johann Klaj
Poet
- Born: c. 1616
- Birthplace: Meissen, Saxony, Germany
- Died: February 16, 1656
- Place of death: Kitzingen, Franconia, Germany
Biography
Johann Klaj was born around 1616 in Meissen, Germany; little is known about his early life. In 1634, he entered the University of Wittenburg and studied theology. While there, he joined a literary circle formed by one of his teachers. The topics for discussion during these sessions were usually religious and may have been the foundation for Klaj’s later works. After graduation, he traveled to Nuremberg, Germany, to continue his theological studies and to study music and literature.
In 1643, Klaj began to write and lecture on religion, and his lectures soon enabled him to be admitted to a group known as the Nuremberg Patriziats. The following year, Klaj and George Phillipp Harsdoerffer founded a literary society known as the Pegnitz order, which is still in existence today. In 1647, Klaj was appointed master of the Sebaldus School in Nuremberg, and he remained in that job for several years. By 1650, he had completed his theological training and was sent to preach in Kitzingen, where he remained until his death in 1656.
Klaj, along with Harsdoerffer and Sigmund von Birken, formed a circle of experimental poets who helped to make Nuremberg a center for seventeenth century German literature. He is best known for his poems, which are primarily religious in nature and written in the form of dramas. Two of his best known verse dramas are Hollen-und Himmelfahrt Jesv Chrjstj, written in 1644, and Herodes, der Kindermörder, written in 1645.