Ambrosius Blarer

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Ambrosius Blarer
Ambrosius Blarer's birthplace in Katzgasse, Konstanz

Ambrosius Blarer von Giersberg , also Blaurer (born April 4, 1492 in Constance , † December 6, 1564 in Winterthur ) was a theologian, hymn poet and reformer in Constance, Württemberg and Switzerland.

Live and act

Ambrosius Blarer was the son of the Constance merchant and councilor Augustin Blarer († 1502) and his wife Katharina Mässlin von Graneck. He was the brother of Thomas Blarer and Margarete Blarer . His (step) uncle was Gerwig Blarer .

Study and monastery

He attended the Latin school in Konstanz, and from 1505 he studied ancient languages ​​in Tübingen , but did not complete his basic studies in order to enter the monastery. He became a Benedictine monk in the Alpirsbach monastery in the Black Forest and made his profession in 1510 . The abbot sent him back to the university, where he was awarded a Baccalaureus Artium in 1511 and a master's degree in 1512 . He also came into contact with his fellow student Philipp Melanchthon , which resulted in a lifelong friendship. After completing his studies, Blar became a lecturer, then administrator in the Alpirsbach parish and prior of the monastery around 1521 . From 1518 he became acquainted with the teachings of Martin Luther , and from 1520 his brother Thomas Blarer, who studied in Wittenberg , sent him his writings. So he became aware of the grievances in the Church and the authority of the Bible , the sola scriptura . He began to preach in the Reformation, but this was not understood and accepted by the other monks and villagers. Probably the first songs were written to write heart and soul to grief and worry. In 1522 he left the monastery and secretly returned to his mother in Constance. From 1523 he maintained contacts with Huldrych Zwingli in Zurich , Johannes Oekolampad in Basel and Martin Bucer in Strasbourg , which strengthened his new Protestant positions.

Reformer in Constance, Eastern Switzerland and Württemberg

In 1525 he was appointed preacher in the parish church of St. Stephan in his hometown of Konstanz, where he, together with his brother Thomas, his cousins Johannes Zwick and Konrad Zwick, introduced the Reformation based on the Zurich model and improved schooling and poor welfare. Thanks to the good personal interaction between Church and Council, the Reformation was able to assert itself calmly and evenly in the following years.

In 1527 he took part in the Baden disputation , but as early as 1528 in the Bern disputation he began to distance himself from Zwingli's symbolic doctrine of the Lord's Supper without becoming a strict Lutheran . He represented a middle position similar to Martin Bucer, to whom he was close. A friendship with a lively correspondence with Heinrich Bullinger from Zurich arose in Bern. He promoted the political alliance between Constance and Zurich, the Christian castle law of 1527, which of course had to be given up again after the defeat of Zurich in 1531.

From 1529 to 1530 he worked as a reformer in the eastern Swiss cities of Bischofszell , Herisau and Wil . From 1529 to 1540 he also reformed the Swabian imperial cities of Ulm , Esslingen am Neckar , Augsburg , Lindau , Memmingen and Isny . But he also worked as a reformer in smaller towns, for example in Albstadt - Tailfingen .

Blarer married the Swiss Katharina Ryf, called von Blidegg, on August 19, 1533, a former nun from the neighboring Dominican convent in Münsterlingen . They had four children together, but only their son Gerwick survived childhood.

From 1534 he worked on behalf of Duke Ulrich with the Lutheran Erhard Schnepf Reformer in the Duchy of Württemberg . In the matter of the Lord's Supper, he therefore reluctantly accepted the Stuttgart formula of concord. In 1537 he was able to enforce the reformed ban on images in the churches of Württemberg. He headed the church in the upper part of the duchy (“ ob der Staig ” with Tübingen as the center), but got into an argument with Erhard Schnepf and other Lutherans because of the ban on images and because he wanted to mediate between Luther and Zwingli. In 1538 he was dismissed by the duke, in 1539 he worked in Augsburg and in 1540 returned to Constance. Plague epidemics broke out in the city and in 1541 he lost his sister Margarethe Blarer and in 1542 his cousin and colleague Johannes Zwick. Now he worked on the Konstanz hymnbook and on building up the school system.

Escape from Constance and pastor in Switzerland

In 1548 he had to flee Constance because of the conquest by the Spaniards and the subsequent re-Catholicization . He went to his widowed sister Barbara in the Thurgau village of Leutmerken and then performed parish services in several Swiss parishes. He was pastor in the city of Biel from 1551 to 1559 and helped to push through the Reformation. He refused several inquiries, in 1563 he worked again as administrator in Leutmerken von Winterthur. Due to the envy of his parishioners and the actions of the Catholic places, he had to give up this position too. He was in lively correspondence with the Swiss reformers Heinrich Bullinger, Johannes Calvin and Guillaume Farel , but no longer exercised any religious political influence as in Constance and Württemberg. He died alone in Winterthur in 1564.

Teaching

Coming from a wealthy family, Blarer enjoyed a good classical education for his time and, as a monk, was an obedient and loyal supporter of the Catholic Church. Through Luther's writings, he became aware of the greater authority and priority of the Bible, the sola scriptura , and of grievances and superficiality in the Catholic Church, as manifested particularly in righteousness and indulgence . As Luther saw and found in Solus Christ forgiveness, redemption from sins through Christ's death on the cross. Out of grace and gratitude, man should therefore orient himself in faith to Christ and entrust himself to him. He can do this without a priest, a special mediator, as the term general priesthood implies, which he also represented. The Christian community, represented by the government, should elect and appoint the pastors. In this he followed Zwingli, although initially he wanted to trust the individuals at the base more. He campaigned for unity and peace in the Protestant Church and tried to mediate between the followers of Luther and Zwingli. He did not invest much in theological formulations and writings, but encouraged people to follow Christ and to live a life that was pleasing to God. This was expressed in the newly introduced urban breeding regulations , which he helped to shape as an influential man, but this also included an improved social system with schooling, poor, sick and widow care. On the question of the Lord's Supper he could not agree with Zwingli and Luther, but instead emphasized the personal relationship of faith with Christ. In general, Luther's language and dealings were too brusque and coarse, and he came closer to the Swiss reformers Bullinger and Calvin and their theology and politics. He did not want to close the monasteries, but place them under Protestant leadership. He got rid of the pictures in the church so that people would not be distracted from the word of God and the sermon. After 1548 there was no longer any place in denominationally disputing Germany for the differentiated and mediating reformer.

Works

Hymns

Ambrosius Blarer is considered one of the most eloquent Upper German songwriters. 25 of his hymns have survived. His song As it please God, I also like it as the oldest evangelical hymn .

Fonts

Ambrosius Blarer also wrote various Reformation sermons and pastoral works:

  • Ambrosii Blaurer was responsible for aynen ersamen weysen advice to Costentz, he was leaving the monastery and with what he wanted to go back to , 1523
  • Ir violence is despised ir art host despised Irs lying not careful is weaker is jr brought justice is what God makes , 1524
  • They preach so from the happy preachers who ... zue Bernn uff the conversation ... have been made , Zurich 1528
  • Of the revocation he is said to have done in the articul of the noble Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ , Tübingen 1535
  • A beautiful Christian lament by the Gotsgelerten AB of his dead dear sisters MB. In the tone I do not like unhappiness. Zusingen, Augsburg around 1542
  • The spiritual treasure of Christian preparation gloubigs consolation, against death and dying ... , Zurich 1566

Honors

literature

  • Verena Baumer-Müller: Blarer, Ambrosius. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  • Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz :  BLARER (Blaurer) from Giersberg, Ambrosius. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 1, Bautz, Hamm 1975. 2nd, unchanged edition Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-013-1 , Sp. 612-614.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive  on 2007-06-13)
  • Hermann Ehmer: Ambrosius Blarer and Gerwig Blarer. Two Benedictines in the decisions of the Reformation period . In: Blätter für Württembergische Kirchengeschichte 86 (1986), pp. 196–214.
  • Otto Feger: Blarer, Ambros . In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 2, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1955, ISBN 3-428-00183-4 , p. 287 ( digitized version ).
  • Julius Hartmann :  Blarer, Ambrosius . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 2, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1875, pp. 691-693.
  • Hartmann, Bossert:  Blarer, Ambrosius . In: Realencyklopadie for Protestant Theology and Church (RE). 3. Edition. Volume 3, Hinrichs, Leipzig 1897, pp. 251-254.
  • Th. Keim : Ambrosius Blarer the Swabian Reformer ., Tübingen 1860.
  • Gudrun Litz: Ambrosius Blarer and the fight against the "idols". , In: The Reformation Image Question in the Swabian Imperial Cities ., Mohr Siebeck, 2007, ISBN 3-16-149124-6 .
  • Bernd Moeller:  Blarer, Ambrosius . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie (TRE). Volume 6, de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1980, ISBN 3-11-008115-6 , pp. 711-715.
  • Bernd Moeller: Johannes Zwick and the Reformation in Constance. In: Sources and research on the history of the Reformation (QFRG), vol. 28, Gütersloh 1961.
  • Bernd Moeller (ed.): The Constance reformer Ambrosius Blarer. 1492-1564. Commemorative publication on the 400th anniversary of his death . Thorbecke, Konstanz and Stuttgart 1964.
  • Theodor Pressel: Ambrosius Blaurer's life and writings of the Swabian reformer . Stuttgart: Liesching, 1861 ( digital copies in the Google book search).
  • Theodor Pressel: Ambrosius Blaurer. Based on handwritten and simultaneous sources . Elberfeld: Friderichs, 1861 ( digitized in the Google book search).
  • Werner Raupp (Ed.): Lived Faith. Experiences and life testimonies from our country. A reading book, Metzingen / Württ .: Ernst Franz-Verlag 1993, pp. 24–32, 382 f. (Int., Source texts, lit.).
  • Correspondence between the brothers Ambrosius and Thomas Blarer 1509–1548 / edited by the Baden Historical Commission. Arranged by Traugott Schieß. Volume 1: 1509-June 1538 . Freiburg i. Br .: Fehsenfeld, 1908 ( Internet Archive )
  • Robert Baumgartner: The reformer Ambrosius Blaurer in Biel 1551-1559. In: Blätter für Bernische Geschichte, Kunst- und Altertumskunde , Volume 19 (1923), pp. 29–69. ( Digitized version ).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hermann Ehmer: Ambrosius Blarer and Gerwig Blarer. Two Benedictines in the decisions of the Reformation period . In: Blätter für Württembergische Kirchengeschichte 86 (1986), p. 198
  2. ^ Hermann Ehmer: Ambrosius Blarer and Gerwig Blarer. Two Benedictines in the decisions of the Reformation period . In: Blätter für Württembergische Kirchengeschichte 86 (1986), p. 199
  3. ↑ Ambrosius Blarer in www.kloster-alpirsbach
  4. ↑ Verena Baumer-Müller: Blarer, Ambrosius. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  5. ↑ Katharina Schill: Ambrosius Blarer, the forgotten reformer. His reformatory concern. Rychenberg Cantonal School, Winterthur 2005
  6. ^ Otto Feger: Blarer, Ambros in: Neue Deutsche Biographie 2 (1955), pages 287–288, online version
  7. ↑ Katharina Schill: Ambrosius Blarer, the forgotten reformer. His reformatory concern. Rychenberg Cantonal School, Winterthur 2005
  8. ↑ Verena Baumer-Müller: Blarer, Ambrosius. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  9. ↑ Katharina Schill: Ambrosius Blarer, the forgotten reformer. His reformatory concern. Rychenberg Cantonal School, Winterthur 2005
  10. ↑ Ambrosius Blarer in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints
  11. ↑ Württemberg Church History online, article Ambrosius Blarer (1492-1564), February 24, 2017


personal data
SURNAME Blarer, Ambrosius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ambros Blaurer von Giersberg
BRIEF DESCRIPTION South German theologian, reformer and hymn poet
DATE OF BIRTH April 4, 1492
PLACE OF BIRTH Constancy
DATE OF DEATH December 6, 1564
Place of death Winterthur