Jens Paludan-Müller (7 November 1771 – 14 May 1845) was a Danish

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

, teacher and author. He served as the bishop of the

Diocese of Aarhus The Diocese of Aarhus (Danish language, Danish: ''Århus Stift'') is one of 10 dioceses in the Church of Denmark, with headquarters in the city of Aarhus. The diocese covers a large district of northeast Jutland and comprises 14 deanery, deanerie ...

between 1830 and 1845 and published a collection of his sermons. In 1799, he married Benedicte Rosenstand-Goiske (1775–1820), the daughter of the priest in Gunslev, Jens Rosenstand-Goiske. The couple had 9 children including the historian Caspar Paludan-Müller, the poet

Frederik Paludan-Müller Frederik Paludan-Müller (7 February 1809 – 27 December 1876) was a Danish poet, the third son of Jens Paludan-Müller and born in Kerteminde, on the island of Funen. In 1819 his father was transferred to Odense, and Frederik began to atten ...

and the deacon

Jens Paludan-Müller Jens Paludan-Müller (7 November 1771 – 14 May 1845) was a Danish bishop, teacher and author. He served as the bishop of the Diocese of Aarhus between 1830 and 1845 and published a collection of his sermons. In 1799, he married Benedicte Rosenst ...

. He was the son of the principal of

Sorø Academy Sorø Academy ( Danish: ''Sorø Akademi'') is a boarding school and gymnasium located in the small town of Sorø, Denmark. It traces its history back to the 12th century when Bishop Absalon founded a monastery at the site, which was confiscated by ...

's estate Caspar Peter Müller (d. 1776) and Anna Paludan (d. 1805). His father died when he was 4 years old but his mother's guardian Laurits Laurberg Kongslev took care of Paludan-Müller and had him taught along with his own children. He moved to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

with his mother and graduated primary school in 1789. In 1789, he obtained a degree in

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 ...

and was hired as a teacher at the school ''

Det Kongelige Vajsenhus (The Royal Orphanage) is a private primary school in Copenhagen in Denmark. The school has around 300 students and 25 teachers. The school has the right to print '' Den Danske Salmebog'' (The Danish Psalmbook). The school was originally a combined ...

'' in Copenhagen. In 1799, he became a parish priest for Thise Parish in Viborg Diocese and in 1801 he was moved to

Kerteminde Kerteminde (nickname: ''Min Amandas by'', i.e. ''My Amanda's town''), is a town in central Denmark, located in Kerteminde Municipality on the island of Funen. The town has a population of 6,128 (1 January 2025).

to serve as the priest of Drigstrup Parish. In Kerteminde, he reformed the dilapidated school and social systems in his lengthy tenure there. In 1819, he was made

archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denomina ...

St. Canute's Cathedral St. Canute's Cathedral (), also known as Odense Cathedral, is named after the Danish king Canute the Saint (), otherwise Canute IV. It is a fine example of Brick Gothic architecture. The church's most visited section is the crypt where the remain ...

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

. In Odense, between 1821 and 1825, he published 3 collections of sermons which he called ''Bidrag til Husandagt''. The purpose of the sermons was to give people who didn't attend church the opportunity to study Christianity and work with their faith at home. In 1826 the millennial anniversary of Christianity in Denmark was celebrated and Paludan-Müller was invited to defend his PhD in Theology again, although he turned down the offer. In 1830, he was made bishop of Aarhus. Jens Paludan-Müller primarily became known through his theological musings and philosophical observations with much in common with

Friedrich Schleiermacher Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (; ; 21 November 1768 – 12 February 1834) was a German Reformed Church, Reformed theology, theologian, philosopher, and biblical scholar known for his attempt to reconcile the criticisms of the Age o ...

. His letters and publications are well regarded to this day. Paludan-Müller was awarded the Knight of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

in 1813, was given the honorary emblem in 1828 and in 1836 he was made a commander of the Order of the Dannebrog. The road of Paludan-Müllers Vej in central

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

is named in his honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paludan-Müller, Jens 1771 births 1845 deaths 19th-century Danish Lutheran bishops People from Sorø Municipality Burials in Aarhus City Hall Park Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog