Paul Gerhardt was born in Germany on March 12, 1607. He died in Germany on May 27, 1676. He was educated at Elector’s school in 1622-1627, and in 1682-1642 he went to University of Wittenberg.
In 1642, he went to Berlin, where he became the tutor for the home of Andreas Barthold, and an attorney.
During this time he did his hymn writing, he also got acquainted with Johann Cruger, choirmaster at St. Nicholas’ Church.
Many of his songs appear in the “Cruger’s Praxis Pietatis Melica” of 1648, and other of his songs were added.
When he was a child he experienced a lot of suffering, because of rigors and disasters of the Thirty Year’ War.
When he was forty-four years old he was ordained to the Lutheran ministry. He served at Lutheran Parishes at three different places. Gerhardt served for eleven years at St. Nicholas’ Church, and renewed his association with Cruger, who encouraged his hymn writing.
Because he refused to sign an edict of Elector Friedrich Wilhelm I, which limited free speech regarding religion, he was deposed from office in 1666 and wasn’t even allowed to conduct private worship in his own home. Because of the intervention of devoted friends, he was reinstated the following year.
The death of his wife in 1668, seemed to climax his personal sorrow, four out of his five children died in their childhood.
In the Lutheran church at Lubben, his last pastorate, hangs a life-sized painting of Gerhardt.
At least two different dates may be found for Gerhardt’s death.
Gerhardt wrote 123 hymns. These are some of the songs he wrote.
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Sources
William J. Reynolds, Baptist Hymnal. Broadman Press, 1976. page 316 & 317
Forrest M. McCann, Hymns & History A.C.U Press, 1997. page 406
