Zacharias Breiter
Born15 April 1535
Mansfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Died22 December 1575
Eisleben, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
OccupationPoet
SpouseMagdalena Sarcerius
Parent(s)Sebastian Breiter, Margaret Platner

Zacharias Praetorius (né Breiter) (15 April 1535 in Mansfeld – 22 December 1575 in Eisleben) was a German Lutheran poet and theologian.

Early life and education

Praetorius was born to city councilman Sebastian Breiter and Margaret Platner, who was from the city of Stolberg; both were friends of Martin Luther. In 1553, he began his studies at the Leucorea at the University of Wittenberg, where he was crowned poeta laureatus in 1556, and passed the Magister exams in 1557. After a conversation with fellow Lutheran Philip Melanchthon, who, according to Johann Heinrich Zedler, considered Praetorius to be the best poet in all of Germany, Praetorius Latinized his name from the Germanic name Breiter.[1]

Career

He served as a deacon of St. Andrew's Church in Eisleben in 1559, and later served at Orth an der Donau in 1564. Praetorius then returned, after a time in Regensburg, to Eisleben to work, and was disposed by the church in 1575 for criticizing the expulsion of his colleague Cyriacus Spangenberg after the Flacian controversy.[2]

During his time in Austria in the 1560s, Praetorius experienced religious persecution due to his Lutheran beliefs. It is recorded that in 1566, during his tenure in Orth an der Donau with fellow theologian Joachim Magdeburg, Barbara von Zinzendorff, daughter of theologian Christoph Reuter, told her father in description of Praetorius's dilemma that "If Magdeburg and Praetorius go back [to Germany], where they will not be persecuted, they will leave their wives and children in the highest degree to preach [Lutheran] theology. What they mean is clear[ly stated] in [Revelation] (lit: Apocalypse) 2-4, where the woman in infancy means the church, and where the dragon comes before the woman who is to give birth, that when she had given birth, he might devour her child." Magdeburg stayed in Austria for many years after that, but Praetorius returned to Germany at the beginning of the 1570s.[3]

Praetorius published a wide array of Latin writings while he was still a student, and later translated Luther's church hymns into Latin verse. With Johannes Aurifaber, he also contributed to the latter's Table Speeches Colloquia.[4] In Eisleben, in addition to sermons, he published many catechisms and writings that were seen as controversial by the church.

One of Praetorius's niches was his writing of poetry for the deceased, such as that Balthasar Podlodowski, who was a peer of Praetorius during his formative years. Podlodowski was killed in Dresden on 30 July 1556 following an accident with his horse.[5]

Relationships with Catholics and other Lutherans

As Praetorius was a staunch Flacian, his relationship with other thinkers waned. In the beginning of his career, he was good friends with Nikolaus Selnecker, Melanchthon, and Christophe Thretius. His relationship with the thinkers deteriorated as Thretius became more influenced by Swiss Lutheranism, Selnecker with the Concordians, and Melanchton with his anti-Flacian views.[5]

In Didacus Sarmiento Valladares' Novissimus Librorum Prohibitorum et Expurgandorum Index Pro Catholicis Hispaniarum Regnis Philippi V. Regis Catholici cum integro indice cognominum auctorum primae, & secundae classis, a 1707 listing of all religious books banned by King Phillip V of Spain, Praetorius is listed as a banned author due to his use of the Augsburg Confession in his teachings.[6]

Family

In August 1559, Praetorius married Magdalene Sarcerius, daughter of Lutheran theologian Erasmus Sarcerius. Magdalene died in 1660 in Eisleben a year into the marriage.[7][8]

Upon the death of his father-in-law in 1559, a few months prior to his marriage, Praetorius wrote a eulogy titled Pious Lamentations on the Death of Reverend and Saint Virid. Erasmus Sarcerius in his honor.[9]

Bibliography

  • Historia Gemmae Quam Unionem Romani, Margaritum Caeterae Nationes Nominant: Ad Dita Allegorica Intepretatione (1555)[10]
  • Epithalamion Venerando et Doctor Virom, Iohanni Vuigando, pastori in inclyta magdeburga apud d. vdalricum, et reliquarum ecclesiarum inspectori: et pudicissimae virgini, hevae filiae melchioris dreseri civis mansfeldensis (1555)[11]
  • De Pentecoste Veteris et Novi Testamenti: Item, de Triumpho Christi Ascendentis in Coelum (1556)[12]
  • Elegia de Coniugio Clariss. Virid. Georgii Purkircheri Artis Medicae Doctoris, et Pudicissimae Virginis Sophiae Lerchefeldrianae, nobili ac patritio genere apud Posonienses editae (1556)[13]
  • Epithalamion Scriptum in Nuptiis Clarissimi et Doctissimi Viri d. Christophoria Schenitz, Artis Medicae Doctoris, et Pudicissimae Virginis Sponsae Ipsius Ursulae Costin (1556)[14]
  • Zachariae Praetorii Mansfeltensis Poetae Lavraeti: Epitaphia XXXI (1558)[15]
  • Zachariae Praetorii Mansfeldensis Poetae Lavreati: Liber Christiados De Beneficiis Christi: Hymni X (1558)[16]
  • De Vitis Regum Germanicorum, ab initio mundi usque ad tempora Constantini Magni, libri duo (1558)[17]
  • Confessio ecclesiaequae est in ditionecomitum mansfeltiorum quiivniores vocantur adversus praecipuas haereses (1560)[18]
  • Piae Lamentationes de Morte Reverendissimi et Sancti Virid Erasmi Sarcerij (1560)[9]
  • Epitaphium Annae Seidelianae Filiae Dulciss: Iosiae seidelii etc. Quae obiitdie XXII Man, hora 12. noctis in arce Roteburgensi, ad Salum Fluvium (1560)[19]
  • Brevis Responsio ad confessionem theologorum vvitebergensium de liberio arbitrio (1561)[20]
  • Kinder-Psalter, das ist, Die deutlichsten und allertrostlichsten Spruche (1563)[21]
  • Von vernunfft in heiliger Schrifft, und vom Son Gottes, welcher auch das wort genennei wird (1563)[22]
  • Epitaphium: In Obitum Margaridos coniugis Reverendi Virid. Iohannis Zelkii Pastoris Bornstetensis (1571)[23]
  • Antwort Auff M. Spangenbergs Gegenbericht von der Heubtsache im Streit uber der Erblunde, swischen ime und den Eisleben dredigern (1572)[24]
  • Vita Domini Nos: Tri Jesu Christi (1573)[25]
  • Sylua Pastorum, Das ist, Materienbuch aller handt predig ten fur einen Christlichen Pfarherr und Seelforger (1575)[26]
  • Sacer Thesaurus, Das ist, Von den vornehmsten Artikeln der Christlichen (1577)[27]

References

  1. ↑ Flood, John (2011-09-08). Poets Laureate in the Holy Roman Empire: A Bio-bibliographical Handbook. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. p. 1605. ISBN 978-3-11-091274-6.
  2. ↑ Historische Commission bei der königl. Akademie der Wissenschaften (1888), "Praetorius, Zacharias", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, Bd. 26, Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (1. ed.), München/Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, p. 535, retrieved 2023-02-25
  3. ↑ Böhl, Eduard (1902). Beiträge zur Geschichte der Reformation in Österreich: hauptsächlich nach bisher unbenutzten Aktenstücken des Regensburger Stadtarchivs (in German). Jena: Verlag von Gustav Fischer. p. 258.
  4. ↑ Luther, Martin (1566). Aurifaber, Johann Praetorius (ed.). Tischreden || Oder || COLLOQVIA DOCT.|| Mart: Luthers/ So er in vielen || Jaren/ gegen gelarten Leuten/ auch frembden Ge=||sten/ vnd seinen Tischgesellen gefüret/ Nach || den Heubtstücken vnserer Christli=||chen Lere/ zusammen || getragen.|| ... || (in German). Eisleben: Gaubisch, Urban.
  5. 1 2 Jahrbücher für Kultur und Geschichte der Slaven (in German). Priebatsch. 1925. p. 185.
  6. ↑ Sarmiento Valladares, Didacus (1707). Index expurgatorius hispanus (in Latin). Typ. Musicae. p. 323.
  7. ↑ Berndorff, Lothar (2010). Die Prediger der Grafschaft Mansfeld: eine Untersuchung zum geistlichen Sonderbewusstein in der zweiten Hälfte des 16. Jahrhunderts (in German). Universitätsverlag Potsdam. pp. 91–94. ISBN 978-3-86956-008-3.
  8. ↑ Hammer, Wilhelm (1968). Die Melanchthonforschung im Wandel der Jahrhunderte: Ein beschreibendes Verzeichnis (in German). Gütersloher Verlagshaus G. Mohn. p. 683.
  9. 1 2 Praetorius, Zacharias (1560). Piae Lamentationes De Morte Reverendissimi Et Sancti Viri D. Erasmi Sarcerij (in German). Gubisius.
  10. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1555). Historia gemmae quam unionem Romani, margaritum caeterae nationes nominant: carmine scripta.
  11. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1555). Epithalamion Venerando Et Docto Viro M. Iohanni Vviganddo, Pastori In Inclyta Magdebvrga Apvd D. Vdalricvm, Et Reliqvarvum Ecclesiarvm Inspectori: Et ... Virgini, Hevae Filiae Melchioris Dreseri Civis Mansfeldensis (in Latin). Seitz.
  12. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1556). De Pentecoste Veteris et Novi Testamenti: Item, De triumpho Christi ascendentis in coelum ; Carmina scripta et clarissimo viro ... Georgio Reumero ... nuncupata (in Latin).
  13. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1566). Elegia De Coniugio Clariss. Viri D. Georgii Purkircheri Artis Medicae Doctoris, Et ... Sophiae Lerchefeldrianae ... (in Latin). Stainhofer.
  14. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1556). Epithalamion, scriptum in nuptiis ... Christophori a Schenitz ... et ... Ursulae Costin (in Latin). Haeredes Petri Seitzij.
  15. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1558). Zachariae Praetorii ... Epitaphia XXXI (in Latin).
  16. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1558). Zachariae Praetorii Mansfeldensis Poetae Lavreati. Liber Christiados De Beneficiis Christi Hymni X. (in German). Wittenberg: Schwenk.
  17. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1558). Zachariae Praetorii ... De Vitis Regum Germanicorum, ab initio mundi usque ad tempora Constantini Magni: libri duo (in Latin). Crato.
  18. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1560). Confessio ecclesiae, quae est in Ditione comitum Mansfeltiorum (in Latin).
  19. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1560). Epitaphium Annae Seidelianae filiae ... Josiae Seidelii ... quae obiit die XXII Maij in arce Rotenbergensi (etc.). excudebat Urbanus Gubisius.
  20. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1561). Brevis Responsio Ad Confessionem Theologorvm Witebergensium de libero arbitrio (in Latin).
  21. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1563). Kinder-Psalter, das ist die deutlichsten und allertröstlichsten Sprüche aus dem gantzen Psalmbuch (etc.) (in German). Urban Gaubisch.
  22. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1563). Von vernunfft in heiliger Schrifft und vom Son Gottes, welcher auch das Wort genennet wird: Schutzschrifft Wider den unruhigen Mamelucken Theobald Thammer itzo Professorn zu Meintz (in German). Gaubisch.
  23. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1571). Epitaphium In Obitum Margaridos Coniugis Reverendi Viri D. Johannis Zelkii Pastoris Bornstetensis (in Latin).
  24. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1572). Antwort Auff M. Spangenbergs Gegenbericht von der Heubtsache im Streit uber der Erbsünde, zwischen ime und den Eislebischen Predigern (in German). Gaubisch.
  25. ↑ Jacobs, Henry Eyster; Schmauk, Theodore Emanuel (1907). The Lutheran Church Review. Philadelphia: Alumni Association of the Lutheran Theological Seminary. p. 355.
  26. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1575). Sylua pastorum Das ist, Materienbuch aller handt predigten für einen Christlichen Pfarherr vnnd Seelsorger. Auch frommen Hausuetern nützlich, welche alhie beysammen finden, die fürnembste Materien der gantzen Christlichen Lehre, von Catechismo, Postillen, Psalmen, von Historien vnd Exempeln der Schrifft, vnd allerley Sprüche zu ermanung der Gefunden, vnd zu trost der Krancken. Derwegen diese Predigten ordentlich getheilet sind, in Carechismus Postill. Euang. Postill. Epist. Leich Braut Historien Psalm Capittel Sprüch Summarirn predigten ...: Das Ander Theil (in German). durch Matthaeum Giseken.
  27. ↑ Praetorius, Zacharias (1577). Sacer Thesaurus, Das ist, Von den vornemsten Artickeln der Christlichen Religio[n] Gewisser und gründtlicher Unterricht: darinnen alß in einem wolgeordneten Kirchenschatz nicht allein der gantze Catechismus, sondern auch alle Sonntags und Fest Evangelia und Episteln, deßgleichen auch allerley herrliche liebliche Sprüch, Historien und Exempel altes und newes Testaments ... kurtz erkleret werden ... (in German). Feyerabend.
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