Johann Franck

Johann Franck, Frank, ( born June 1, 1618 Guben, † June 18, 1677 ) was a German jurist and poet known hymns, but also secular poems.

Life

Johann Franck was the son of a lawyer, who died in 1620. His uncle, the municipal judge Adam Tielckau, took to his. After attending grammar school in Guben he attended schools in Cottbus and Szczecin as well as the gymnasium in Thorn. As of June 28, 1638, he studied law in Königsberg. There he was influenced by the folk songs poet Simon Dach. At the request of his mother, he returned Easter 1640 back to Guben, which had been hard hit at the time of the Thirty Years' War under the Swedish. After returning from a trip to Prague in May 1645, he worked as a lawyer. In 1648 he was alderman and mayor in 1661 Guben. Since 1671, he represented the country as an elder to his hometown in the state parliament of Lower Lusatia.

Johann Franck created 110, especially spiritual songs that have been recorded in most Protestant German church hymnals (see: History of the hymn on the European continent ). Most of his works have become less important; in the Protestant hymn book there are only two of his songs. Even in the current church hymnals Sweden and the Swedish-speaking Finland contained at least 4 of his songs. One of his best songs include, for example Deck thyself, O dear soul; Jesu, meine Freude, Thou, O beautiful world building and others, some of which were also set to music by Johann Crüger. In his book, he shows affinity with Paul Gerhardt. His secular poems are mostly occasional poems, but also love poetry and the natural and home -related verses.

Writings

• Johann Francken hunderttönige Our ​​Father harp. Wittenberg 1646.
• Poetical works. Frankfurt ( Oder) 1648th
• Spiritual Sion. 6 parts. Guben 1674 ( the same udT Teutsche poems, Wittenberg nd)
• Julius Leopold Pasig (ed.): Johann Franck 's Sacred Songs. After the final edition published unchanged. Selection of 56 songs. Gebhardt, Grimsby 1846 ( digitized copy of the Bavarian State Library ).

Musical settings

• Johann Sebastian Bach created the motet Jesu, meine Freude on the text by Johann Franck; his sacrament hymn Deck thyself, O dear soul is the basis for the same Bach cantata ( BWV 180).