Catharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel (22 October 1697 - after 1768 ) was a German hymn writer.
Although little is known about her life, it is known that she lived in a Lutheran ''
Damenstift
The term (; nl, sticht) is derived from the verb (to donate) and originally meant 'a donation'. Such donations usually comprised earning assets, originally landed estates with serfs defraying dues (originally often in kind) or with vassal tenan ...
'' (a residential endowment for unmarried Protestant women). This ''Damenstift'' was in
Cöthen in the
Principality of Anhalt
The Principality of Anhalt (german: Fürstentum Anhalt) was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, located in Central Germany, in what is today part of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Under the rule of the House of Ascania, the Anhalt territory ...
. In 1726 she corresponded with
August Hermann Francke
August Hermann Francke (; 22 March 1663 – 8 June 1727) was a German Lutheran clergyman, theologian, philanthropist, and Biblical scholar.
Biography
Born in Lübeck, Francke was educated at the Illustrious Gymnasium in Gotha before he studie ...
, the Lutheran clergyman, philanthropist, and Biblical scholar. In 1768 von Schlegel was probably still alive.
She wrote a number of hymns in the spirit of early
Pietism
Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life, including a social concern for the needy and ...
that can be found in the various collections of ''Cöthen'schen Lieder''. Amongst English speakers, von Schlegel's best known hymn is "Stille mein Wille, dein Jesus hilft siegen" (written in 1752). It was the translated into English by
Jane Laurie Borthwick
Jane Laurie Borthwick (9 April 1813, Edinburgh, Scotland; 7 September 1897, Edinburgh, Scotland) was hymn writer, translator of German hymns and a noble supporter of home and foreign missions. She published under the pseudonym: H. L. L. (Hymns fro ...
as ''
Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side'' and is usually sung to the tune of ''
Finlandia
''Finlandia'', Op. 26, is a tone poem by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was written in 1899 and revised in 1900. The piece was composed for the Press Celebrations of 1899, a covert protest against increasing censorship from the Russian ...
''.
External links
Indelible Grace Music - Katharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel
1697 births
German Lutheran hymnwriters
Women hymnwriters
Year of death unknown
{{Germany-writer-stub