Joannes Aurifaber Vratislaviensis (30 January 151719 October 1568), born Johann Goldschmidt in
Breslau, was a
Lutheran theologian and
Protestant reformer. He adopted the
cognomen ''Vratislaviensis'' ("of Breslau") to distinguish himself from another writer of his time, the
Joannes Aurifaber from
Weimar.
Life
Joannes Aurifaber Vratislaviensis was the younger brother of the physician
Andreas Aurifaber
Andreas Aurifaber (born Goldschmidt, 1514 – 12 December 1559) was a German physician of some repute, but through his influence with Albert of Brandenburg, last grand-master of the Teutonic Knights, and first Protestant duke of Prussia, became ...
. He was educated at
Wittenberg, where he formed a close and lasting friendship with
Philipp Melanchthon
Philip Melanchthon. (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lu ...
. After graduating in 1538, he spent twelve years as docent at the university, and having then received his doctorate of divinity, was appointed professor of divinity and pastor of the church of
St. Nicholas at
Rostock.
[See als]
entry of Johannes Aurifaber
in Rostock Matrikelportal He distinguished himself by his conciliatory disposition, earned the special confidence of
John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg, and took a leading part in 1552 in drawing up the constitution of the Mecklenburg church. He also settled some religious disputes in the town of
Lübeck.
In 1553
Albert, Duke of Prussia, anxious to heal the differences in the Prussian church caused by the discussion of
Andreas Osiander's doctrines, invited Aurifaber to
Königsberg, and in the following year appointed him professor of divinity at the
Königsberg Albertina University
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...
and president of the
Samland diocese. Aurifaber, however, found it impossible to conciliate all parties, and in 1565 returned to Breslau, where, in 1567, he became pastor in the church of St. Elizabeth and inspector of the Lutheran churches and schools.
References
Attribution:
*
Literature
*
*
Walter Friedensburg: ''Geschichte der Universität Wittenberg'', Halle (Saale) 1917
* Robert Stupperich: ''Reformatorenlexikon.'' Verlag Max Mohn, Gütersloh 1984,
* Wagenmann, Gustav Kawerau: ''Aurifaber, Johannes (Vratislaviensis).'' In: ''
Realenzyklopädie für protestantische Theologie und Kirche'' (RE), 3. Auflage, Bd. 2, (1897), S. 288-290
1517 births
1568 deaths
Clergy from Wrocław
German Lutheran theologians
16th-century German Protestant theologians
Academic staff of the University of Königsberg
German male non-fiction writers
16th-century German male writers
{{Germany-academic-bio-stub