Friedemann Bechmann (26 May 1628 – 9 March 1703) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

Life

Friedemann Bechmann was born in

Elleben Elleben is a municipality in the district Ilm-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany. Elleben has two named communities, Riechheim and Gügleben. History Within the German Empire (1871-1918), Elleben was part of the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershause ...

, a small town in the principality of

Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with its capital at Sondershausen. History Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a county (earldom) until 1697. In that year, it became a principal ...

, a short distance to the north of

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Central Germany (cultural area), Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the Gera (river), River Gera, in the so ...

. His father, Andreas Bechmann, was a church pastor originally from Remda, nearby. However, his father died in 1633 and after his mother, born Anna Maria Glass, also died, in 1637, he was taken in by his mother's brother, the physician Balthasar Glass,(The name of Bechmann's maternal uncle is given as "Balthasar Glassius" in Latin language sources.) and grew up in

Arnstadt Arnstadt () is a town in Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany, on the river Gera (river), Gera about south of Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia. Arnstadt is one of the oldest towns in Thuringia, and has a well-preserved historic centre with a partially ...

. Later he was taken on by another of his mother's relatives, Salomo Glass, and educated at the gymnasium (secondary school) in

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...

where his teachers included Andreas Reyher and, between 1647 and 1649, Georg Heß. In 1649 Bechmann transferred to the

University of Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The university was established in 1558 and is cou ...

where he enrolled to study

Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

and

Theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

. On 5 August 1651 he was awarded his

Magister degree A magister degree (also magistar, female form: magistra; from , "teacher") is an academic degree used in various systems of higher education. The magister degree arose in medieval universities in Europe and was originally equal to the doctorate; ...

. In the Philosophy faculty he attended lectures and tutorial sessions presented by (1599–1667), Daniel Stahl (1589–1654),

Paul Slevogt Paul Slevogt (29 April 1596 - 22 June 1655) was a Holy Roman Empire, German Philology, philologist and Philosophy, Aristotelian philosopher. Biography Paul Slevogt was born in :de:Possendorf (Weimar), Possendorf, a small town in central southern G ...

(1596–1655) and (1617–1689). Over in the Theology faculty, those who taught him included

Johannes Musaeus Johannes Musaeus (7 February 1613 – 4 May 1681) was a German Protestant theologian. Education After visiting the Latin school in Arnstadt he studied at the University of Erfurt starting from 1633 in the Arts Faculty and in Jena with Damiel S ...

(1613–1681), Christian Chemnitz (1615–1666) and Johann Ernst Gerhard the elder. After Stahl's death in 1654 he obtained a permanent position as am "adjunct" in philosophy at the university and on 16 January 1656 Bechmann took over Stahl's teaching chair, as professor of Logic and Philosophy. In 1668 he also became a professor of Theology, taking the position vacated through the death of Johann Ernst Gerhard, and received an honorary Theology doctorate. He was appointed Rector of the university for the summer term of 1665. His second appointment as rector covered the winter term of 1671. Rectors at Jena were always appointed for six month terms: between 1665 and 1697 Friedemann Bechmann served as Jena University Rector seven times. Friedemann Bechmann died in

Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...

on 9 March 1703.

Families

Friedemann Bechmann married twice. His first marriage, in 1659, was to Margarete Roth (1641–1665). A son is known to have been born to the couple: * Andreas Bechmann (1662–1720) who became a successful physician Bechmann's second marriage, in 1666, was to Regina Maria Frischmuth. She was the daughter of Johann Frischmuth the university professor of

Oriental studies Oriental studies is the academic field that studies Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology. In recent years, the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Middle Eastern studie ...

. Through her mother she was also a grand daughter of Bechmann's old tutor,

. Five children are known to have resulted from this marriage: * Christina Maria Bechmann (who predeceased her father) She married the physician Joachim Seeck. * Johann Tobias Bechmann (who predeceased his father) * Anna Maria Bechmann who married the consistorial assessor, Christian Hübner * Elisabeth Magdalena Bechmann * Heinrich Friedemann Bechmann

Output (selective listing)

Numerous disputations by Bechmann are known to have been produced in the context of his teaching work. These were added as supplementary sections to works produced by his students. Of his independent works, the following merit mention: * Systema Physicum. Jena 1665, 1675 *
Institutiones Logicae ex Aristotele eijusque optimis tum Graecis tum Latinis interpretibus concinnatae.
Jena 1667, 1670, 1677, Leipzig & Gotha 1691 (8. Aufl.) * De modo Solvendi Sophismata Tractatus Logicus. Jena 1667 (Online), Gera 1671 * Frommer Christen Heimfahrt oder Leich-Predigt, bei Beerdigung Herrn Joh. Andr. Bosii, P.P. Jena 1674 * In Augustanam Confessionem. Jena 1677 * Annotationes uberiores in Compendium Hutteri Theologiam polemicam. Jena 1690, 1692 * Theologiam polemicam, conscientiania. Frankfurt & Leipzig 1698, 1702 * * Institutiones Theologicas, in quibus articuli fidei tractantur, usus practici eruuntur, casus dubii et difficiles enodantur et variae questiones soluuntur. Jena 1701, 1707 * Annotationes ad D. Jo. Olearii Tabulas Theologiae moralis. Jena 1702 * Gottseliges vergieß mein nicht, d. i. Christl. und erbauliche Betrachtung der letzten Dinge des Menschen. Jena 1701

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bechmann, Friedemann People from Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Writers from Jena 17th-century German Protestant theologians Academic staff of the University of Jena Rectors of the University of Jena 1628 births 1703 deaths 17th-century German male writers 18th-century German writers 18th-century German male writers