Johann Fran(c)k (1 June 1618 – 18 June 1677) was a German politician (serving as mayor of Guben and a member of the Landtag of

Lower Lusatia Lower Lusatia (; ; ; szl, Dolnŏ Łużyca; ; ) is a historical region in Central Europe, stretching from the southeast of the German state of Brandenburg to the southwest of Lubusz Voivodeship in Poland. Like adjacent Upper Lusatia in the sou ...

) and a lyric

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

and

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

ist.

Lübben Paul-Gerhardt-Kirche Fenster Johann Franck

Life

Franck was born in Guben,

Margraviate of Lower Lusatia Lower Lusatia (; ; ; szl, Dolnŏ Łużyca; ; ) is a historical region in Central Europe, stretching from the southeast of the German state of Brandenburg to the southwest of Lubusz Voivodeship in Poland. Like adjacent Upper Lusatia in the sou ...

. After visiting the

Latin school The Latin school was the grammar school of 14th- to 19th-century Europe, though the latter term was much more common in England. Emphasis was placed, as the name indicates, on learning to use Latin. The education given at Latin schools gave gre ...

in Guben, he attended schools in

Cottbus Cottbus (; Lower Sorbian: ''Chóśebuz'' ; Polish: Chociebuż) is a university city and the second-largest city in Brandenburg, Germany. Situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree, Cottbus is also a major railway junction with exte ...

and Stettin, as well as the gymnasium in Thorn (Toruń). After studying law at the

University of Königsberg The University of Königsberg (german: Albertus-Universität Königsberg) was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as the world's second Protestant academy (after the University of Marburg) by Duke Albert of Pruss ...

, he became a councilor in his native town, later becoming its mayor and a member of the Landtag of

. He died in Guben.

Works

Under the influence of the Silesian School and of Simon Dach of Königsberg, he produced a series of poems and hymns, collected and edited by himself in two volumes (Guben, 1674), entitled: ''Teutsche Gedichte, enthaltend geistliches Zion samt Vaterunserharfe nebst irdischem Helicon oder Lob-, Lieb-, Leidgedichte, etc.''. His secular poems are forgotten; about forty of his religious songs, hymns, and psalms have been kept in the hymals of the German Protestant Church. Some of these are the hymn for Communion "" ("Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness"), the Advent hymn ''Komm, Heidenheiland, Lösegeld'' (''Come, Ransom of our captive race'', a translation into German of ''

Veni redemptor gentium "Veni redemptor gentium" (Come, Redeemer of the nations) is a Latin Advent or Christmas hymn by Ambrose of Milan in iambic tetrameter. The hymn is assigned to the Office of Readings for Advent, from December 17 through December 24, in the Liturgy ...

''), and a hymn to Jesus, " Jesu, meine Freude" (Jesus, my joy), which is best known as being the basis of

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

's funeral motet ''Jesu, meine Freude'', BWV 227. His hymn "" (You, o beautiful building of the world), with a melody by Crüger is no longer in practical use, but one stanza, "" (Come, O death, to sleep a brother), was prominently used in Bach's solo cantata ''Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen'', BWV 56. The music for his hymns by the Guben organist Christoph Peter appeared first in the Andachtscymbeln, the oldest Guben hymn book, in 1648. In honor of Franck, a simple monument has been erected at the south wall of the Guben parish church.

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

Johann Franck
bach-cantatas.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Franck, Johann 1618 births 1677 deaths 17th-century hymnwriters 17th-century German poets 17th-century German politicians German Lutheran hymnwriters German Lutherans German male poets German male writers Mayors of places in Brandenburg People from Guben University of Königsberg alumni

Life

Works

References

Sources

Further reading

External links