Hermann Andreas Pistorius (8 April 1730 – 10 November 1798) was a German Protestant-Lutheran theologian and clergyman, philosopher, reviewer, translator and writer. During his lifetime he was regarded as "the most learned man on Rügen".
Early life
Pistorius was born in
Bergen auf Rügen
Bergen auf Rügen is the capital of the former district of Rügen in the middle of the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. Since 1 January 2005, Bergen has moreover been the administrative seat of the ''Amt'' of Bergen auf ...
. The son of a Bergen deacon, he lost his father at an early age. His stepfather Brandanus Heinrich Gebhardi (1704-1784) promoted his scientific education. He attended school in Bergen, the Stralsund Gymnasium and the
Collegium Carolinum in
Braunschweig. Afterwards he studied at the universities of
Greifswald and
Göttingen. He then spent two years as a private scholar in Hamburg and
Altona. During this time he was engaged in the translation of works by
David Hume.
In Greifswald he obtained a
magister degree in 1756. In 1757, he took over a position as ''Pastor substitutus'' in
Schaprode. On 27 April 1759, he became pastor and
provost in
Poseritz
Poseritz is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The translator Christian Pistorius Christian Brandanus Hermann Pistorius (12 May 1763 or 1765 – 9 November 1823) was a German writer and translat ...
, where he worked until the end of his life. With the pastors Lorenz Stenzler and Joh. Eberhard Christian Krüger, he formed a learned circle, which had good contacts to
Ernst Moritz Arndt. The University of Greifswald granted him the title of Doctor of Theology in 1790. In 1798, he died in Bergen from pneumonia at age 68.
Career
In addition to his extensive theological knowledge, Pistorius possessed excellent knowledge of languages. He was particularly interested in philosophical studies and addressed, among other matters, topics of interest to the German and English philosophers of his time. He took a moderate
Skeptical position. He was neither a supporter of
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz,
Christian Wolff, nor of
Immanuel Kant. Following a visit to his brother-in-law
Johann Joachim Spalding
Johann Joachim Spalding (1 November 1714 – 25 May 1804) was a German Protestant theologian and philosopher of Scottish ancestry who was a native of Tribsees, Swedish Pomerania. He was the father of Georg Ludwig Spalding (1762–1811), a profe ...
in Berlin in 1764 he became a member of the review journal '. In 33 years he wrote more than a thousand
reviews, mainly of philosophical, but also of theological publications. Almost all of Kant's works belonged to this group.
[Bernward Gesang: ''Kants vergessener Rezensent.'' p. XI f.]
Known beyond the borders of
Swedish Pomerania, Pistorius was mentioned in various descriptions of journeys to Rügen. His guests rarely judged him harshly, like
Wilhelm von Humboldt, and mostly were enthusiastic like the Kosegarten pupil Karl Nernst or the Berlin Consistorial Councillor Johann Friedrich Zöllner.
Personal life
Pistorius married Sophie Juliane Brunnemann, daughter of the Bergen provost Christian Anton Brunnemann (1716-1774). They had four children:
*
Christian Pistorius Christian Brandanus Hermann Pistorius (12 May 1763 or 1765 – 9 November 1823) was a German writer and translator.
Life
Pistorius was born in Poseritz. The eldest son of the Poseritzer Provost (religion), provost Hermann Andreas Pistorius and hi ...
(1765–1823), writer and translator
* ''Johann Philipp Pistorius'' (1767–1823), Pastor in
Garz/Rügen, married to
Charlotte Pistorius (1777–1850), poet
* ''Karl Ludwig Pistorius'' (1773–1844), 1798 lawyer at , 1801–1809 Mayor of
Grimmen, 1810–1833 District Court Secretary in
Loitz
* Heinrich Julius Pistorius (1781–1861), lawyer, mayor of Wolgast
Writing
*
David Hume: ''Vermischte Schriften über die Handlung, die Manufacturen und über die andern Quellen des Reichthums und der Macht des Staates.'' Translation from English, Grund und Holle, Hamburg and Leipzig 1754.
*
Joseph Priestley: ''Liturgie und Gebetsformeln zum öffentlichen Gottesdienst für Christen von allen Confessionen.'' Translation from English, Nicolai, Berlin 1786.
Further reading
*
Erich Gülzow: ''Heimatbriefe Ernst Moritz Arndts.'' In Rügisch-Pommerscher Geschichtsverein (edit.): ''Pommersche Jahrbücher'' 3rd supplementary volume, Julius Abel, Greifswald 1919, p. 230 f.
*
* Bernward Gesang (edit.): ''Kants vergessener Rezensent. Die Kritik der theoretischen und praktischen Philosophie Kants in fünf frühen Rezensionen von Hermann Andreas Pistorius.'' In: ''Kant-Forschungen.'' vol. 18, Felix Meiner, 2007, , p. XI
numerised.
*
Heinrich Döring: ''Die gelehrten Theologen Deutschlands im achtzehnten und neunzehnten Jahrhundert.'' vol. 3, Wagner, Neustadt an der Orla 1833,
numerised.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pistorius, Hermann Andreas
18th-century Lutheran clergy
18th-century German philosophers
English–German translators
1730 births
1798 deaths
People from Bergen auf Rügen
18th-century translators