Bartholomäus Bernhardi of Feldkirchen

Bartholomew Bernhardi ( born August 24, 1487 Schlins; † July 21, 1551 in Kemberg ) was a Lutheran theologian and reformer.

Life

Bernhardi was born born as the son of the Chamber Judge Hans Bernhardi and his wife Elsa Rüchlin in Feldkirch, 1499 attended the Latin school in Eisenach and matriculated in 1503 with his brother John Bernhardi ( 1490-1534 ) at the University of Erfurt. He changed on 28 May 1504, the newly founded University of Wittenberg, where he studied with Christoph Metzler et al. There he received in 1505 the academic degree of bachelor, on February 21, 1508 artium to a Master, was admitted to the artists Senate of the University in 1509 and held this year from the chair of physics according to Thomasius.

Then he turned to theology, was 1512 Baccalaureus biblicus, was from 1513 to 1516 as a subdeacon in Brandenburg an der Havel, as a deacon in Halberstadt and priests working in Chur, returned in 1516 returned to Wittenberg and Sententiarius was theology. For this he wrote the defense Quaestio de viribus et voluntate hominis sine gratia, which he presented Reformation findings of academic public. This publication is allowed for communication over the pros and cons of Luther's theological concerns. In 1518 he was admitted as a licentiate in theology, in the winter semester 1512 was Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and in the winter semester 1518/19 President of the University.

During this time he also learned the ideas of his former school friend Martin Luther know, also he was in 1509 entered the Wittenberg Augustinian Order, 1516 dissertations had written against sophistical school theologians and thus denounced the miserable condition of man after the pitiful fall. Therefore it is not surprising that stood Bernhardi also behind his friend, when he made ​​his 95 theses to the public known and defended him as rector of the University of Wittenberg during the drain dispute in 1518. By the death of the former provost Kemberger Ziegelheim of the plague, as well as the University is entitled right of patronage, he was elected in 1518 to the Provost and pastor in Kemberg, where he was the first priest and provost, who announced the evangelical doctrine. On August 24, 1521, he married in Kemberg, despite his priestly vow presumably with the Kembergerin Gertraude Pannier (* 1495 ). From this marriage seven children were born. He was the founder of the Protestant parsonage. Luther, who was friends with him, wrote him a letter from the Wartburg, where he admired the courage Bernhardi and sent him cordial good wishes.

The wedding then caused quite a stir and Bernhardi had his step to publicly defend marriage. Here, the archbishop Albrecht of Mainz and Magdeburg called the Saxon Elector Frederick the Wise to extradite Bernhardi to the spiritual court. In his defense, handed Bernhardi a written by him and revised by Philipp Melanchthon protection font ( Apologia per M. Bartholomaeo prepositional, qui uxorem in sacerdotio duxit ), which was printed in several German and Latin writings in Wittenberg and Erfurt 1521/22. Andreas Bodenstein also took this case in his disputations and used it in his writings on celibacy and vows. As the Archbishop Bernhardi would not recognize as sufficient justification, this turned again to Frederick the Wise, who supported Bernhardi and saved him from further persecution.

As Kemberg was occupied in Schmalkaldic war after the Battle of Miihlberg of Spaniards, Bernhardi had to endure with his church abuse. He was hung over his study desk, but from what state he was able to free his wife. At other times he was tied by the Spanish mercenaries to a horse and dragged several miles in the imperial army camp, where it then rescued a German officer from the ordeal. Nevertheless, he remained true to his congregation faithfully until his death on 21 July 1551st His grave stone is still in the Kemberger town church, where he was ready to be created, among others, on the 1565 by Lucas Cranach the Younger wing altar in a 1994 smoldering was badly damaged. 1987 erected to him in Schlins front of St. Anna chapel a monument.

Family

From the first Protestant marriage two sons and five daughters were born:

• Catherine Bernhardi (* 1522), married June 14, 1540 with Matthias Wankel, provost in Kemberg
• Johann Bernhardi (* 1523), Deacon in Lobejün
• Thomas Bernhardi (* 1524, † after 1576 in Crossen ), Hofrichter, married to Elizabeth, daughter of the businessman Martin Löhnig ( Lönisch )
• Anna Bernhardi (c. 1526), married to Andreas Wankel pastor in Schmiedeberg
• Elisabeth Bernhardi ( † before 1555), married to Bartholomew Wanckel, rector of the town school Kemberger
• Maria ( * 1532, † 1556 in Kemberg ), married with Ambrosius Rhodius, mayor in Kemberg
• Magdalena († young)