Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (c. 1530 – probably May 9, 1599) was a German didactic poet and

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

. He is most recognized as a

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

writer.

Biography

Bartholomäus Ringwaldt was born in

Frankfort-on-the-Oder Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (), is a city in the German state of Brandenburg. It has around 57,000 inhabitants, is one of the easternmost cities in Germany, the fourth-largest city in Brandenburg, and the largest German ...

, Germany. From 1543, he studied theology. After graduating, he first started his career as a teacher. He was ordained into the Lutheran Ministry during 1557 and served as pastor of two parishes. In 1566, he became the pastor of Langenfeld,

Neumark The Neumark (), also known as the New March ( pl, Nowa Marchia) or as East Brandenburg (), was a region of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and its successors located east of the Oder River in territory which became part of Poland in 1945. Call ...

. Starting during the 1570s, he wrote songs and poems which focused on his religious and theological beliefs. Ringwaldt was a prolific

hymnist A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the composition of hymns dates back to before the time of David, who composed many of ...

, and may have composed tunes as well. Bartholomäus Ringwaldt died probably May 9, 1599 in Langenfeld, today Długoszyn near Sulęcin,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Hymns

Ringwaldt's hymns include: * " Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut" ("Lord Jesus Christ, you highest good"). As well as writing the words, Ringwaldt may have written the anonymous tune. This chorale is the basis for

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

chorale cantata A chorale cantata is a church cantata based on a chorale—in this context a Lutheran chorale. It is principally from the German Baroque era. The organizing principle is the words and music of a Lutheran hymn. Usually a chorale cantata includes m ...

''Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut'', BWV 113 (1724). Bach, who frequently used hymn stanzas in his church cantatas, used verses from the same chorale in (1707/08), and . * "Herr Jesu Christ, ich weiß gar wohl" ("Lord Jesus Christ, I know very well"). Bach used a stanza in . * "Gott Heil'ger Geist, hilf uns mit Grund" (1581), translated into English as ''O Holy Spirit, grant us grace'' by Oluf H. Smeby for "The Lutheran Hymnal", 1909 * "Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit" (ca, 1565), translated into English as ''The day is surely drawing near'' by Philip A. Peter for the "Ohio Lutheran Hymnal", 1880.''The day is surely drawing near'' (cyberhymnal.org)

References

Other sources

* Julian, John (1892) '' A Dictionary of Hymnology '' (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons)

External links

Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (Wikisource)
1530s births 1599 deaths German Lutheran hymnwriters 16th-century German Lutheran clergy German poets People from Frankfurt (Oder) German male non-fiction writers 16th-century hymnwriters {{Germany-theologian-stub