Paul Gerhardt
Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) was a prominent German hymn writer and Lutheran clergyman known for his contributions to church music and theology. Born in Grafenhaynichen, he came from a middle-class family and pursued his education at the University of Wittenberg. Gerhardt's pastoral career included serving as chief Lutheran pastor in Mittenwalde and later as the third deacon at St. Nicholas's church in Berlin. His life was marked by challenges, particularly during the religious wars of his time, which influenced his ministry and writings. Notably, he faced conflict with the authorities over his refusal to comply with syncretistic edicts that conflicted with his Lutheran beliefs. Despite these struggles, Gerhardt's hymns gained significant popularity, and many are still sung today, often in English translations. His complete hymns were first published in 1667, and he passed away in 1676, leaving a lasting legacy in the realm of Protestant hymnody. Gerhardt's contributions reflect a deep commitment to his faith and an enduring impact on religious music.
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Paul Gerhardt
Clergy
- Born: March 12, 1607
- Birthplace: Grafenhaynichen, Germany
- Died: May 27, 1676
- Place of death: Lübben an der Spree, Spreewald, Germany
Biography
Born in 1607 in Grafenhaynichen, Germany, Paul Gerhardt was a hymn writer and clergyman. He was the son of Christian Gerhardt, the burgermeiser of Grafenhaynichen, and was raised in a good, middle-class family. He attended the Univeristy of Wittenberg in 1628 and preached in Berlin throughout the 1640’s. He married Anna Maria Barthold in 1655.
Gerhardt was appointed chief Lutheran pastor at Mittenwalde in 1651. However, as a result of religious wars, Gerhardt suffered many trials throughout his life. He became third deacon of St. Nicholas’s church in 1657 but was deposed in 1666 because, as a devoted member of the Lutheran Church, Gerhardt refused to accept Frederick William’s syncretistic edict of 1664 and refrained from preaching against Calvinism. Gerhardt was installed as archideacon at Lübben an der Spree in June 1669. His hymns are used often in their English translations, and many of them originally published in church hymnals. The first complete set of Gerhardt’s hymns was published in Geistliche Andachten (1667) by Ebeling, Berlin’s music director. Gerhardt died in 1676, in Spreewald, Germany, a few years after his wife.