Christoph Fischer (theologian, † 1598)

Christoph Fischer (born January 20, 1518 in Sankt Joachimsthal , † September 11, 1598 in Celle ) was a German Lutheran theologian in northern and central Germany . He was in contact with important reformers and most recently headed the regional church of Celle.

Live and act

Fischer grew up as the son of a judge in Joachimsthal and attended the school of Johannes Matthesius . In 1537 he came to study in Wittenberg , where he obtained the degree of Baccalaureus on November 22, 1540 and the Magister artium on January 25, 1543 .

He stayed there for a year as a trainee with Martin Luther, who was working in Wittenberg . On February 6, 1544, Fischer was ordained in Wittenberg by the well-known reformer Johannes Bugenhagen and initially appointed deacon and later provost of the Liebfrauenkirche in Jüterbog .

In Jüterbog he married Katharina, the daughter of Paul Knod. In 1547 he moved to Bensen as a pastor due to the Schmalkaldic War . There he found the time to write a catechetical booklet that he dedicated to his father.

In 1552 Philipp Melanchthon wrote to him , recommending him to the post of preacher (as successor to Kaspar Aquila ) and shortly afterwards to the position of superintendent in Schmalkalden (at that time still occupied by Bartholomäus Wolffhart ) . In 1552, Fischer was given the post of parish priest in Schmalkalden. With the appointment of June 27, 1555 he was appointed superintendent for the entire county of Henneberg and at the same time dean of the Schmalkalden monastery. Fischer remained in the service of the Henneberg family until 1574, a total of 22 years.

In 1574 Fischer came to Celle as an adjunct, ie right hand, of the general superintendent Bonsack, where he had a largely independent position. In 1577 he accepted the position of pastor primarius, d. H. first pastor, at the Church of St. Martini in Halberstadt . There he led the Lutheran festival service on December 9, 1578 for the inauguration of Heinrich Julius von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel as Prince-Bishop of Halberstadt . In 1583, already at an advanced age, he became general superintendent in Celle. Christoph Fischer died on September 11, 1598.

His hymn We thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that you died for us found its way into the Evangelical Hymnbook (EG 79) and the Catholic Praise for God (GL 178).

literature

• Heinrich Kellner:  Fischer, Christoph (1st item) . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 7, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, p. 51 f.
• lu:  Fischer, Christoph (2nd Art.) . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 40, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1896, p. 30 f.
• Rudolph Steinmetz: The general superintendents of Lüneburg-Celle. In: Journal of the Society for Lower Saxony Church History 20. Braunschweig 1915, p. 47ff.
• Georg Arndt: Christoph Fischer and his work in the Thuringian region. In: Contributions to Thuringian and Saxon history. Festschrift for Otto Dorbencker on his 70th birthday. Jena 1929, pp. 295-326.
• Ph. Meyer: The clergy of the Hanover regional church . 1, Göttingen 1940, 161.
• Heinz Scheible: Melanchthon's Correspondence People Volume 12
• Karl Zeitel: A previously unpublished letter from Martin Luther from the former Henneberg high school library in Schleusingen. At the same time an explanation of the ecclesiastical home and origin of the Henneberg superintendent Mag. Christoph Fischer from Joachimsthal in Bohemia . In: Yearbook 1998 of the Hennebergisch-Fränkisches Geschichtsverein , Kloster Veßra / Meiningen / Münnerstadt 1998, pp. 123–170; esp. pp. 160-164.

Web links

• Works by and about Christoph Fischer  in the German Digital Library
• Songs by Christoph Fischer in the Christian song database