Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin

Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin - graphic by Johann Jacob Haid

Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin (born March 18, 1711 in Bönnigheim , † November 16, 1790 in Esslingen am Neckar ) was a German Protestant pastor and superintendent .

Live and act

The son of Bönnigheimer city pastor Tobias Köstlin (1679-1725) and Christine Dorothea Hauff (1687-1733), a great-great aunt of the poet Wilhelm Hauff , changed with 12 years from Stuttgart High School of the Evangelical pin Tübingen , where he met with only 17 years, his Master's examination passed. In 1731 he submitted his theological dissertation to Georg Bernhard Bilfinger on the subject of " de poena haereticorum noviter ab ecclesia se avellentium ". In the monastery he got to know, among others, the theologian and Pietist Friedrich Christoph Oetinger , whose pietistic teachings had a strong influence on Köstlin and with whom he planned a trip to Pennsylvania , which, however, did not materialize. From 1731 he took up a position as vicar in several cities in Württemberg , in 1733 as a repetitionist at the Tübingen monastery and finally in 1735 as a deacon in Blaubeuren . In 1738 he went on a major study trip to Jena , Halle an der Saale and Magdeburg , among other places , where he explored the church there and also met his future wife.

After Köstlin took over a position as dean and superintendent in Heidenheim in 1747 , he was appointed Senior Ministerii (Oberpfarrer) of the imperial city of Esslingen in 1753 . In addition, he became head of the imperial city church and school system and was appointed marriage judge. The main exponent of pietism, Johann Albrecht Bengel , had used his influence for these appointments , as he valued Köstlin extremely and would have liked to see him as a son-in-law. Köstlin performed his service with enormous zeal, shone with sharp-tongued sermons, was not only regarded as an exemplary ascetic person, but also made it his own to dissuade pub suckers from their immoral actions in relation to excessive alcohol and vicious sayings and deeds on unannounced inspection tours.

In 1763, Köstlin published a church hymn book, which on 624 pages contains more than 400 old and new songs as well as devotions, gospels and other lessons and served many generations for spiritual orientation. After celebrating his 50th anniversary in service in 1785, Köstlin died on November 16, 1790. He was buried in the upper cemetery south of the St. Dionys town church in Esslingen. The tombstone of the Köstlin couple has meanwhile been moved to the aisle of this church.

family

Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin was married to Maria Sophia Köpke (1714–1791), daughter of the pastor Joachim Christoph Köpke from the Brandenburg village of Rädel . With her he had nine children, of whom Nathanael Köstlin (1744–1826) later became dean in Bad Urach and Wilhelm Köstlin (1747–1823) as rector of the education department, Friedrich Köstlin (1749–1828) as pastor, Albrecht Köstlin (1754–1823) 1805) remained in Esslingen as forester and senator and Gotthilf Köstlin (1757-1809) as deacon. Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin is considered to be the progenitor of all members of the Köstlin family of theologians and lawyers who are still living today, especially in Württemberg .

Fonts (selection)

• Church hymn book, comprehending four hundred songs as old as new / which with added confessional and last supper devotions, also gospels, evening lessons and the history of the passion , Esslingen (Hoffmann) 1763, 2nd edition 1775

literature

• Maria Köstlin: The book of the Köstlin family , Kohlhammer Verlag , Stuttgart, 1931
• Stefan J. Dietrich: Gestrenger Senior. The Esslinger pastor Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin was born 300 years ago , in: Esslinger Zeitung , March 18, 2011, p. 25.
• Stefan J. Dietrich: From Rulaman to Beate Uhse. The family relationships of the former pastor Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin in Essling go far , in: Esslinger Zeitung 2003, No. 194 (23/24 August), p. 25

Web links

• Stefan J. Dietrich: Gestrenger Senior. The Esslinger pastor Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin was born 300 years ago , in: Esslinger Zeitung , March 18, 2011, p. 25.
• List of publications by Cosmann Friedrich Köstlin at World Cat