Johann Quistorp the Younger

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Johann Quistorp the Elder J.

Johann (es) Quistorp the Younger (born February 3, 1624 in Rostock , † December 24, 1669 in Rostock) was professor of theology and preacher in Rostock, four times rector of the University of Rostock .

Life

Johann Quistorp was the third of ten children of the theology professor Johann Quistorp (the elder) and his wife Barbara, nee. Domann, born. He had his first school lessons with Christoph Hauswedel, who later became a legal scholar and vice-president of the Mecklenburg Regional and Court Court. From 1641 he studied for a year and several months at the University of Greifswald . Then he returned to Rostock and studied theology under his father. On April 17, 1645 he became a master.

In the same year his father refused, due to health reasons, the participation in the Thorner Religious Discussion requested by the Mecklenburg Duke Adolf Friedrich . Another reason was probably that he foresaw the denominational clashes between Orthodox Lutherans and the supporters of Georg Calixt . Instead, Johannes Quistorp the Younger was sent as an observer. He traveled to Danzig and from there accompanied Abraham Calov , a main representative of Orthodox Lutheranism and then rector at the grammar school in Danzig , to the negotiations, which ended with no results after three months. He then studied in the winter of 1645/46 in Königsberg with the well-known professors Michael Behm and Christian Dreier and gave private lectures. In the spring of 1646 he traveled to Copenhagen , where he established friendly relations with the Zeeland bishop Jesper Rasmussen Brochmand . Back in Rostock, he took over the vacancy of a mathematics teacher at the philosophical faculty. Quistorp gave lectures on mathematics and astronomy.

After a year he went on study trips again; first to Hamburg , then through East Frisia to the Netherlands . There he attended the academies in Groningen , Amsterdam and Utrecht, among others . He stayed in Leiden for half a year and gave lectures. Here he became court master of Adrian van Dunke and accompanied him to The Hague . Here he received the call of the Rostock City Council to the extraordinary chair of theology. He broke off the trip, returned to Rostock and took office on August 30, 1649. In his inaugural address, he analyzed the poor state of the Lutheran Church, a concern that has stayed with him all his life. On November 9, 1649 he was elected Archdeacon at St. Jakobi .

On February 19, 1650 Quistorp became a doctor of theology and on the same day married Sophia Scharfenberg, the daughter of a legal scholar and mayor of the city of Rostock. They had ten children.

His teaching, especially in theology, was of particular quality. Several times he was offered other positions, which he refused each time. So the Count of Oldenburg appointed him superintendent in Delmenhorst , Duke Christian Ludwig I of Mecklenburg as superintendent in Parchim and shortly before his death Duke Gustav Adolf von Mecklenburg-Güstrow as superintendent in Neubrandenburg . He was rector of Rostock University four times, the last time until his death. Several times he held the position of dean of the theological faculty. He opened the Academic Library to the general public and launched public book auctions, an institution he had come to know and appreciate in Holland.

On September 24, 1653 he was elected pastor at St. Jakobi. At the age of 30 Quistorp had already achieved an outstanding position in the clergy and teaching, which he used effectively for the church organization in the city of Rostock. He took an active role in the reform movement in Rostock and consistently represented the church's interests towards the city council.

His work Epistola or Pia Desideria is considered the first programmatic reform proposal of the Rostock theologians and later had a decisive influence on Theophil Großgebauer and his work Wächterstimme as well as on Philipp Jacob Spener in Frankfurt / Main, whose work, which appeared in 1675 and which was not also called Pia desideria by chance , was often is named as the founding work of Pietism . The Pia Desideria by Johannes Quistorp is described as one of the most important reforms of Lutheranism in the 17th century.

Quistorp's demands included the discipline of social life by the church. To this end, essential changes should be made in the form of worship and in the organization of the church. He expressed this in his writings and also practiced it on the structures in Rostock. Inadequate training and a lack of discipline in the church were the main causes of the grievances in the church for him. In addition to improving the formation of the clergy, his proposals also included the demand to set up an institution of church elders from particularly committed lay people to support the church thereby conveying the ability to reform. He ensured that the training was improved and that no one was admitted to a theological office who had not previously received a certificate from the Rostock University. He tried to implement his efforts to change structures by means of a nationwide synod . This failed because of the resistance of the dukes, whose ecclesiastical power would have been diminished.

He was not only concerned with the grievances in the church, but also with the social problems of his time. Like his father, he criticized the advice that many children did not get an education because of the high school fees. He called for a better poor system and warned the orphanages to manage their money better in order to be able to take in more orphans. Johannes Quistorp continued the efforts to introduce pastor widow's funds, which his father had already introduced in Rostock in 1632, across the country.

Despite his resolute and strict sermons, he was considered one of Rostock's most popular pastors.

Regardless of his affiliation with St. Jakobi, his grave is next to that of his father in the Marienkirche in the nave on the left side, looking at the altar. His portrait, originally in the St. Jakobikirche, is now also in the Marienkirche.

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personal data
SURNAME Quistorp, Johann the Younger
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Quistorp, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Lutheran theologian
DATE OF BIRTH February 3, 1624
PLACE OF BIRTH Rostock
DATE OF DEATH December 24, 1669
Place of death Rostock