Otto von Gerlach

Karl Friedrich Otto von Gerlach ( born April 12, 1801 in Berlin, † October 24, 1849 ) was a German Protestant theologian and pastor.

Life

He was the youngest of five children of Carl Friedrich Leopold von Gerlach (1757-1813), first mayor of Berlin, and Agnes of Raumer (1795-1877), brother of Ernst Ludwig von Gerlach (1795-1877) and Ludwig Friedrich Leopold von Gerlach ( 1790-1861 ).

Otto von Gerlach was a student of Friedrich Werder Gymnasium and studied after the early loss of his father's first law, then Protestant theology in Berlin, Heidelberg and Göttingen. He was under the influence of pietistic revival movement and was, inter alia, to "Christian- German Table Society" Adolf von Thadden - Trieglaffs ( 1796-1882 ).

1828 received his doctorate and habilitation of the Protestant theologian and entered a pastorate in 1833, from 1835 in the finished St. Elizabeth's Church in the disability in Berlin. This lay in the newly formed in the course of industrialization working-class neighborhood. Gerlach was convinced of the need for new forms of devotion to impoverished people. He laid the foundations of modern social work, for example by a service club for unemployed artisans, especially weavers. He sat by the construction of the Elisabeth Hospital, and was appointed in 1842 by King Frederick William IV in the founding committee for the model Bethanien Hospital.

In 1847 he was appointed by the king for the 4th Court and preacher. In 1848 he was appointed to the consistory, 1849 Honorary Professor at the University of Berlin.

He married on June 23, 1835 Pauline von Blankenburg ( 1804-1887 ), with whom he had ten children, six of whom still died during his lifetime.

In 1844 he was sentenced to one year imprisonment because of the abuse of a maid to death. He never took the punishment, but went with his family on trips.

During its operation in the Arbeiterslums he fell ill several times difficult, including smallpox and brain inflammation. His health has been weakened over time. After several strokes, he died at the age of 48 years.

Work

Otto von Gerlach gave a comprehensive treatment of the Old and New Testament by Martin Luther out, and stood as a translator important representatives of the English revivalist forth ( John Wesley ( 1703-1791 ), Richard Baxter ( 1615-1691 ), Thomas Chalmers ( 1780-1847 ) ).