Ehemaliges Franziskanerkloster Hof 20220522 HOF02558

Nikolaus Decius (also ''Degius'', ''Deeg'', ''Tech a Curia'', and ''Nickel von Hof''; c. 1485 – 21 March 1541 (others say 1546) was a German monk, hymn-writer, Protestant reformer and composer.

Biography

He was probably born in Hof in

Upper Franconia Upper Franconia (, ) is a (administrative 'Regierungs''region 'bezirk'' of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia, the others being Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, wh ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, around 1485. He 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 ...

and obtained a master's degree at Wittenburg University in 1523 and became a monk. Although a monk, he was an advocate of the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

and a disciple of

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

. He was ''Probst'' of the cloister at Steterburg from 1519 until July 1522 when he was appointed a master in the St. Katherine and Egidien School in

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

. He wrote in 1523 " Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr", a German paraphrase of the Latin ''

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins ...

'', adapted by Luther in 1525. Decius's version was first sung on

Easter Day Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the N ...

at Braunschweig on 5 April 1523. Decius's

Low German Low German is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language variety, language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide. "Low" ...

version first appeared in print in ''Gesang Buch'' by Joachim Sluter, printed in 1525. In 1526, Decius became preacher at the Church of St. Nicholas in

Stettin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major seaport, the largest city of northwestern Poland, and se ...

at the same time as Paulus von Rhode was appointed preacher at

St. James's St James's is a district of Westminster, and a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. The area was once part of the northwestern gardens and parks of St. James's Palace and much of it is still owned ...

in Stettin. In 1535 he became pastor of St. Nicholas and died there in March 1541 after a suspected poisoning. Shortly before his death he wrote the hymn " O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" (O Lamb of God, innocent) sung on a tune from the 13th century. Decius's version was first published in Anton Cornivus's ''Christliche Kirchen-Ordnung'' in 1542.

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 a ''

cantus firmus In music, a ''cantus firmus'' ("fixed melody") is a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition. The plural of this Latin term is , although the corrupt form ''canti firmi'' (resulting from the grammatically incorrect trea ...

'' in the opening chorus of his ''

St Matthew Passion The ''St Matthew Passion'' (), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets the 26th and 27th chapters of th ...

''. It was translated into English by

Arthur Tozer Russell Arthur Tozer Russell (20 March 1806 – 18 November 1874) was an English clergyman and hymnwriter. Life The elder son of Thomas Russell, he was born at Northampton on 20 March 1806. He received his early education at St. Saviour's School, South ...

in the 19th century.

References

Sources

Ludger Stühlmeyer Ludger Stühlmeyer (born 3 October 1961 in Melle, West Germany) is a German cantor, organist, composer, docent and musicologist. Biography Stühlmeyer was born to a family of cantors and made his first steps under the guidance of his father in ...

: ''Nikolaus Decius – ein Kirchenlieddichter aus Hochfranken.'' In: ''Jahrbuch der Erzdiözese Bamberg 2014.'' Heinrichs-Verlag Bamberg, 89. Jahrgang 2013, S. 72–76. * Ludger Stühlmeyer: ''Die Kirchenlieder des Hofers Nicolaus Decius.'' In:''Curia sonans. Die Musikgeschichte der Stadt Hof. Eine Studie zur Kultur Oberfrankens. Von der Gründung des Bistums Bamberg bis zur Gegenwart.'' Phil.Diss., Bayerische Verlagsanstalt, Heinrichs-Verlag Bamberg 2010, , S. 110–112, 135–137, 357–358. * Werner Merten: Decius, Nikolaus. In: Wolfgang Herbst: Wer ist wer im Gesangbuch? S. 73-74 Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2001, * * Th. Ruys. P. D. Utrecht 1919 (Diss. Amsterdam). H. J. Jaanus. P. D. (Documenta Reformatoria 1960, 247ff.). * {{DEFAULTSORT:Decius, Nikolaus German Protestant hymnwriters People from Upper Franconia German Protestant clergy People from Hof, Bavaria 1485 births 1541 deaths