Paul Rebhun
Paul Rebhun was an Austrian playwright and cantor, born around 1500 in Waidhofen, Austria. He pursued his education in Saxony and earned a degree from Wittenburg University before marrying Anna Thiel in 1525. Rebhun began his writing career in 1526 in Zwickau, Germany, where he also took on teaching roles. He is known for two plays, particularly "Ein Geistlich Spiel, von der Gotfurchtigen und keuschen Frawen Susannen," published in 1536, which was well-received for its structural quality and dedicated to his friend Stephan Reich. The play, notable for its musical composition by Rebhun, has been praised for its engaging content, although it appears it was never intended for performance. In addition to his work as a playwright, Rebhun created several popular songs that were widely reproduced during his time. He later became a preacher and was appointed pastor in Oelsnitz, where he continued his work until his death in 1546. Despite his limited output and the lack of a grammar text to further his innovations, Rebhun's contributions to early German theater and music remain of interest to scholars and enthusiasts alike.
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Paul Rebhun
Poet
- Born: c. 1500
- Birthplace: Waidhofen, Austria
- Died: May 1, 1546
- Place of death: Oelsnitz, Germany
Biography
Playwright Paul Rebhun was born around 1500 in Waidhfen, Austria. He attended school in Saxony and finished a degree at Wittenburg University. In 1525, he married Anna Thiel. He began his writing career in 1526, when he took a position as cantor and part-time teacher in Zwickau, Germany.
Rebhun only wrote two plays. The most successful was Ein Geistlich Spiel, von der Gotfurchtigen und keuschen Frawen Susannen, gantz lustig und fruchtbarlich zu lesen (1536; A Miracle Play about the God-Fearing and Chaste Lady Susanna, for Entertaining and Profitable Reading, 1992). Rebhun dedicated this play to his friend and patron Stephan Reich of Kahla. Rebhun also composed the play’s music. Reviewers deemed the drama to be structurally sound and superior to other contemporary plays.
Susannen was first published in 1536 by Rebhun’s brother, Wolfgang Meyerpeck, after Rebhun accepted a position at the Latin school in Zwickau. He later became corrector of the school. Rebhun moved to Plauen in 1538, taking a teaching job at the local Latin school. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed the preacher of Plauen and was later ordained to the clergy.
In 1538, Rebhun’s play Ein Hochzeit Spiel auff die Hochzeit zu Cana Galileae was printed by Meyerpeck in Zwickau. The five-act drama describes the short report of Jesus’s first miracle. The style of the drama suggests that Rebhun never intended it to be performed. The characters’ long didactic preaching would bore theatergoers, but would be interesting to readers. There is no evidence that the play ever was staged.
In his two plays, Rebhun introduced some significant innovations, but they mostly went unnoticed. One reason for this lack of interest was the fact that Rebhun only wrote two plays. In addition, he never wrote a German grammar for his innovations. A grammar text would have set forth the rules for the structure of his plays, allowing other writers to use similar formats. Rebhun fared better with the several songs he composed. His contemporaries often reproduced his songs, which serves as testimony to their popularity.
In 1542, Elector Johann Friedrich promoted Rebhun to the position of pastor in Oelsnitz. Rebhun, whose health had been deteriorating, died in Oelsnitz in 1546.