Johannes Aurifaber (Vimariensis)

Johann Aurifaber, actually John Goldsmith (* 1519 in Weimar, † November 18, 1575 in Erfurt ) was a Lutheran theologian and reformer of the 16th century. He was named to distinguish it from the same Breslauer contemporaries Vimariensis ( from Weimar ).

Life

About the environment comes from the Aurifaber, nothing is known. In 1537 he began his studies at the University of Wittenberg, the Count Albrecht of Mansfeld promoted. In 1539, he was bachelor, then he earned a master's degree. From 1540 to 1543 he taught at Wittenberg two young Counts of Mansfeld. 1544/45 he accompanied Count of Mansfeld Vollrad as a military chaplain in France. 1545 he returned to Wittenberg back, pulled in Luther's house and was Martin Luther's last famulus. Aurifaber accompanied Luther on his trips to Mansfeld ( December 22, 1545 - January 7, 1546 ) and Eisleben ( 23 January to 18 February 1546). In the Smalcald War he was chaplain of John Frederick of Saxony. In 1547 he was appointed court preacher at Weimar in 1550 used as a second court preacher and after the death of the old court preacher Johann Stoltz he took over on July 15, 1556 the Hofpredigeramt. On 1 May 1552, he received 40 florins for house purchase and acquired in 1559 a small estate.

In the captive Johann Friedrich Aurifaber was from May 1552 to release on September 1, 1552. He supported the Gnesio-Lutherans and made in 1556 for their appointment to the University of Jena. In 1548 he signed the report against the Augsburg Interim, 1552, he participated in the opinion Osiandrian dispute with. In January 1556, he called on the Adiaphoristen with revocation, in August he was in the interrogation of Justus Menius by, whom he pursued with Nicholas of Amsdorf.

Aurifaber sat down to draw up a confession of Ernestine, the Weimar Konfutationsbuches, one to which he gave with Matthias Flacius the polemical form, before it appeared in 1559. As the Weimar court in 1561 separated from the Gnesiolutheranern, Aurifaber received his dismissal on October 22, 1561. He retired to Eisleben, where he was able to devote its editorial activity.

From there Aurifaber 1565 fled from the plague to Erfurt, where he became in 1566 pastor at the church preacher. 1569 Erfurt Pastor Johannes Gallus was elected Rector of the University of Erfurt. The senior Ministry of Erfurt Andreas Poach advised to reject the choice, if not would disappear the Roman Catholic ceremony at the Rectorate handover. Aurifaber stepped on the side of Gallus. The dispute was discharged from the pulpit, to the Council of the city of Erfurt in Holy Week dismissed in 1572 Poach and Aurifaber made ​​to Senior. After the July 15, 1572 four followers POACHs had been released yet, he could act a few years in peace until he died on November 18, 1575. The grave stone in the Erfurt Church preacher shows his portrait.

Work

It was determined by a passion to collect Unpublished Luther and sources that could be used to understand the Lutheran Reformation, and to make known to promote Luther's continuing influence. The foundation for his collection he laid since 1540 by copying autographs, Luther's sermons and Genesis cowrote lecture. After Luther's death, he began to collect more through travel. The first fruit of this work he published in 1546 Luther's last four sermons. 1547 was followed by a consolation writings and a consolation collection of sayings, 1550 verdeutschte an interpretation of Psalm 129

On June 10, 1553 was called to Jena to take care of a Luther output Georg Rorer by Johann Friedrich. Aurifaber was placed by his side. Well prepared by his collecting activities, he took over the compilation and obtaining the templates. On August 31, 1553, he proposed to bring to all of unprinted Rörers postscript. But Johann Friedrich wanted to record only of Luther Reported. After that died, Aurifaber renewed his plan and found agreement. A special edition of Latin letters was planned, recorded Unpublished in the German volumes of Jena Luther output. Since the summer of 1555 Aurifaber procured amplified transcripts with diplomatic help of the Ernestine dukes. He traveled to North and South Germany, sent messengers to cause brought the manuscripts, or writer who fabricated transcripts. The material received Rorer, who was able to increase his collection, but also Aurifaber. In the summer of 1556 the Dukes earned on Aurifabers urging Rörers collection. On March 30, 1556 Aurifaber asked for inspection of the files to the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 and material from the Landgrave of Hessen to Marburg Colloquy.

1556 was offered in Leipzig, the first Latin band Luther letters from 1507 to 1522, had worked the Aurifaber. The pressure of the second band came in 1558 not materialize. The Jena Luther edition appeared in 1553-1558 in 12 volumes, and was brought by Aurifaber without the deceased Georg Rorer to an end.

In Eisleben Aurifaber able to realize his long-cherished plans partially. 1564 and in 1565 published two volumes of German books, writings and sermons of Luther from the years 1516 to 1538 as a supplement to Wittenberg and Jena Luther edition, also 1565 was the second band with Latin Luther 's letters to 1528, 1566 his most successful publication - over 20 runs, last 1968 - table Talk or " Colloquia Doct. Mart. Luther, " in which he did everything German. What Aurifaber each saw no pressure way that it spread by hand.

Aftereffect

Aurifaber has determined to the 19th century, the outputs of letters, sermons, and Table Talk of Luther. Critical editions of the letters began in 1825, the sermons and Table Talk in 1883 with the Weimar Luther output. Aurifaber wanted to make the incomplete transcripts understood from complete. This process came already by his contemporaries resistance.

Since the 19th century it flippancy about his templates was said by the historical-critical method here. He was suspected viewed any, records suppressed Rörers transcripts, sermons, lectures and letters spun out after dinner speeches and to have boasted unduly own transcripts. But this judgment has not been shown that the same templates are used for comparison, the Aurifaber used. In the book and Bibeleinzeichnungen and in the consolation writings showed that he had the better text.

The discovery of his manuscript collections brought him the reputation of having been " a bustling literary businessman ", who together wrote volatile, to earn. But the source location can be hard to judge whether he was in each case addressed as a collector or his collection ausbot. The judgment of the payments must comply with the practice of the 16th century. For the transmission of the sayings of Luther, he has done a lot. He has suppressed nothing to idealize Luther. Some pieces have come only through him to us. His dependence of copies, its processing technology and its Konjekturfreudigkeit, is a critical consideration. At Witte Berger Town Hall is a plaque that can arrest its name in memory.