Albert Höfer (pastor)

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Albert Höfer

Albert Höfer (born April 3, 1802 in Thannhausen (Swabia) , † July 26, 1857 in Günzburg ) was a German Catholic pastor and composer of hymns .

Life

Albert's father Anton Höfer (1764-1837) had been a teacher and church musician in Thannhausen since 1793. He and his wife Maria Elisabeth geb. Wagner had a total of eleven children, eight of whom died in childhood. After elementary classes with his father, Albert became a Latin student with Christoph von Schmid , who had come to Thannhausen as the school director in 1776. He also received his first music lessons from his father and proved to be gifted at an early age. He learned to play the piano and the organ. Already during this time melodies for texts by Christoph von Schmid were composed for the Thannhauser Laudate , which Albert Höfer probably composed together with his father.

In 1819 Höfer went to the Protestant St. Anna grammar school in Augsburg , where he passed the Abitur the following year with the grade “excellent”. He then studied theology at the academic lyceum in Dillingen and was ordained a priest in 1825 . He became a high school teacher, then secretary to Bishop Ignaz Albert von Riegg of Augsburg .

When von Riegg appointed him pastor in Augsburg at the former collegiate church of St. Georg in 1831, at the age of only 28 , it caused a diocesan-wide sensation. In 1839 Höfer received the title of Episcopal Spiritual Councilor .

In 1844 Höfer moved to St. Martin in Günzburg as the town pastor, probably at his own request. After initial conflicts over traditions that he wanted to dust off, he was soon worshiped and loved. In addition to his friendly and affectionate nature, his pioneering political and charitable work also contributed to this. For four terms he was a member of the district council of Swabia and Neuburg . For the "madmen", as it was called at the time, he tried to create an "institution" on the former barracks site. In 1849 he became dean .

Höfer died of stomach and liver cancer at the age of 55. 68 clergymen and countless believers took part in his exequies .

Two years after Höfer's death, the Augsburg diocesan prayer and hymn book Laudate was published , for which he had done decisive preparatory work and which contained nine melodies by him. It was in use for over a hundred years.

Songs in Praise of God 2013

The praise of God contains Höfer's melody ? / I to Gellert Osterlied living Jesus, with him I (no. 336). Audio file / audio sample

The diocesan editions also contain:

  • At Pentecost at the third hour (GL Augsburg 781)
  • We believe and confess (GL Augsburg 788)
  • We Christmas as you commanded (GL Augsburg 722)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d The composer hit the soul of his time ( Augsburger Allgemeine , October 17, 2009)
  2. ↑ a b c d "Albert Höfer - a great son of Thannhausen" ( Memento from March 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ Schlager des Kirchenlied ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ Günzburger pastor created the hymn of the Easter festival (Augsburger Allgemeine, March 21, 2008)
personal data
SURNAME Hofer, Albert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Catholic pastor; Hymn composer
DATE OF BIRTH April 3, 1802
PLACE OF BIRTH Thannhausen (Swabia)
DATE OF DEATH July 26, 1857
Place of death Gunzburg