Johann Burchard Freystein (18 April 1671 – 1 April 1718) was a German lawyer and hymnwriter.

Biography

Freystein was born on 18 April 1671, in Weissenfels, to Samuel Adam Freystein, vice-chancellor of Duke August of Saxony, inspector of the Gymnasium of Weissenfels. Johann Burchard Freyenstein studied at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

in law, mathematics, philosophy and architecture. He spent some time in Berlin and Halle. In 1695, he achieved his doctorate in law at 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 ...

. He then founded his own firm in

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

. In 1703 he was counsellor in Gotha. In 1709, he returned as a counsellor of court and law in Dresden, where he died, on 1 April 1718. Freystein's religiosity was influenced by

Philipp Jakob Spener Philipp Jakob Spener (23 January 1635 – 5 February 1705) was a German Lutheran theologian who essentially founded what became known as Pietism. He was later dubbed the "Father of Pietism". A prolific writer, his two main works, ''Pia desider ...

Work

Freystein's hymn "Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, wache, fleh und bete" can still be found in Protestant hymnals (ECG 261, Lutheran hymnal EC 387).

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

used it as the basis for his

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

'' Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115''.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Freystein, Johann Jurists from Saxony German Protestant hymnwriters 1671 births 1718 deaths Leipzig University alumni 18th-century German lawyers