Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer

Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
Born 11 July 1635
Naumburg (Saale)
Died 8 September 1699 (aged 64)
Wolfenbüttel
Occupation
  • Jurist
  • Poet
  • Satirist
  • Hymn writer

Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer (11 July 1635 – 8 September 1699) was a German jurist, poet, satirist and Protestant hymn writer. Johann Sebastian Bach used one of his hymns to conclude his Ascension Oratorio.

Career

Sacer was born in Naumburg, the son of the town's mayor.[1] He was first educated by private teachers and from 1649 at the Landesschule Pforta. From 1654 he studied at the University of Jena law and literature. In 1657 he accepted a position as Hofmeister in Berlin where he had contact to poets such as Paul Gerhardt, Georg Philipp Harsdörffer and Andreas Tscherning . Johann Rist made him a member of the literary association Elbschwanenorden [1] under the name Hierophilo.

From 1669 he worked as an advocate at the court of Wolfenbüttel, a post for which he had to complete his studies. He achieved the doctorate in September 1671 in Kiel.[1] His last post was Fürstlicher Kammerkonsulent (Ducal chamber counselor).[1] He died in Wolfenbüttel and is buried in the Marienkirche, Wolfenbüttel .

Work

Sacer's satirical writings, namely Reime dich, oder ich fresse dich, are still read and often quoted. His hymns for Ascension, "Gott fähret auf gen Himmel" (God goes up to Heaven) was published in Geistliche, liebliche Lieder (Spiritual, lovely songs) in Gotha in 1714, sung to the melody "Von Gott will ich nicht lassen".[2] Johann Sebastian Bach used the hymn's seventh stanza, "Wenn soll es doch geschehen", to conclude his Ascension Oratorio.[3][4] Among Bach's hymn writers, he was the only contemporary.[5]

Among his publications are:

Literature

References

External links