Evangelical church hymn book
The Evangelical Church Hymnbook (EKG) was the first joint hymn book for the German-speaking parishes in the Protestant regional churches in Germany and the two Protestant churches in Austria . The churches in Switzerland and most of the Protestant free churches have their own hymn books. The EKG was introduced between 1950 and 1969, depending on the regional church, then in 1987 in the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church - here in an expanded form under the title Evangelical Lutheran Church Hymns (ELKG). Between 1993 and 1996 it was replaced by today's Evangelical Hymnbook .
history
As early as the middle of the 19th century, efforts were made to bring out the most uniform possible Protestant hymnbook for the German-speaking churches. In 1853 , for example, representatives of some Protestant regional churches met in Eisenach to choose from the rich treasure trove of German-language hymns that were known in as many parishes as possible and were sung with pleasure and often. This resulted in a so-called core German hymns under the title German Evangelical Church Hymns in 150 core hymns , which was also known as the Eisenacher Büchlein .
The "Eisenacher Büchlein" was the basis for a hymn book published in 1915 under the title German Evangelical Hymn book by the German Evangelical Church Committee , which, in addition to a general main part of 342 songs, also contained spiritual folk songs (No. 343-387) . The 342 songs of the German Evangelical Hymnbook (DEG), which was later briefly known as the unified hymn book , were introduced in some North, West and East German regional churches from the late 1920s and supplemented with regional song appendices. It appeared in the old Prussian church provinces Landessynodalverband of the Free City of Danzig , East Prussia , Grenzmark Posen-West Prussia and West Prussia as well as in the Uniate Evangelical Church in Poland (with the song appendix No. 343-472 and ecclesiastical folk songs No. 473-536), Brandenburg and Pomerania (introduced in 1931 with songs appendix no. 343-530 and spiritual folk songs no. 531-583), Rhineland and Westphalia (introduced in 1929 with song appendix no. 343-540 and spiritual folk songs no. 1-76), ecclesiastical province of Saxony and Evangelical Church in Anhalt (with song appendix No. 343-595) and Schleswig-Holstein-Lauenburg , together with the regional churches in Hamburg , Lübeck and Eutin as well as the Mecklenburg Church (with song appendix). The Bremen Evangelical Church also joined the latter in the 1940s .
content
The EKG appeared in 1950 in a master edition with 394 common songs and chants. The individual regional churches supplemented the main part with their own songs and additional text parts in different editions. The songs in the common root section of the Evangelical Church Hymn book had the following themes:
The church year
This section comprised songs No. 1–123 and included songs for the church festivals of Advent , Christmas , New Year, Epiphany , Passion , Easter , Ascension Day , Pentecost and Trinity, as well as smaller church festivals and songs for the end of the church year .
The church service
This section comprised hymns 124–175 and included hymns at the entrance to the service , liturgical chants, hymns to conclude the service , hymns about the Word of God, holy baptism , the sacrament , confirmation , marriage, and burial .
Psalms, supplications and praises for every time
This section comprised songs numbers 176–331 and included psalm songs, songs for the church, songs of praise and thanksgiving, songs about the Christian faith and life, songs about trust in God, the cross and comfort, and songs about death and eternity.
Songs for special times and occasions
This section comprised songs nos. 332–394 and included songs for the day and year (morning, noon, and evening songs), songs about daily bread, songs at work and at work, songs on travel, and songs for people and country.
The songs were arranged chronologically within the individual topics, that is, the oldest song was recorded first. For the songs, efforts were made to use the original version of the text and melody as far as possible. As a result, even better-known melodies of some songs, such as the popular tune of the song Geh aus, mein Herz, und sucht Freud by August Harder , were initially not included in the hymnal. Only when individual regional churches were reissued later was the old wise replaced by Harder's better known wise.
The oldest songs of the EKG were among other things the Latin chants of the church father Ambrosius of Milan , which however were later edited and reproduced in German, the most recent songs were the poems of Rudolf Alexander Schröder , of whom five songs, and Jochen Kleppers , of whom three Songs were included in the trunk section. The youngest song ever should have been No. 35 (So God loves the bad world) by Kurt Müller-Osten (1905–1980). It was composed in 1941. In total, the main part of the EKG contained 31 songs by Martin Luther , 30 songs by Paul Gerhardt and 10 songs by Gerhard Tersteegen .
In principle, the entire main part of the hymn book should be adopted unchanged by all regional churches. However, if the text versions or other melodies were more common in individual regional churches, these versions were also included in the respective regional edition as an exception. For example, the edition for the Evangelical Church in Baden for song No. 63 ( O head full of blood and wounds ) also contained a special text version of the 2nd stanza. Occasionally, entire songs in a different text version were completely included in the regional part of the hymn book, for example in song No. 48 (How beautifully the morning star shines), which can be found again in the regional part of Baden and Württemberg.
criticism
Soon after the introduction of the EKG, there was also criticism. It was criticized that some very well-known hymns were missing. The main part of the EKG contained neither the two best-known Christmas carols, O you merry and silent night, nor the chorals Great God we praise you and I pray to the power of love . Many so-called spiritual folk songs, such as Harre mein Seele, were also missing . These songs could only be found in some regional parts, if at all. Only today's Evangelical Hymnbook helped.
Booklets
The EKG has been supplemented by so-called "supplements" in the individual regional churches since the 1960s. Usually new hymns were recorded in order to make them known in the parishes. The supplements appeared in different editions and had different contents.
Regional parts of the EKG
In the member churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany and Austria, the following regional parts were in use:
Anhalt, Pomerania and Silesian Upper Lusatia
In 1951 the EKG was introduced in the Evangelical Church of Anhalt , the Evangelical Church of Silesia and the Pomeranian Evangelical Church . It initially appeared with the subtitle
- Edition for the consistorial districts Berlin, Magdeburg, Greifswald and Görlitz and for the Evangelical Church of Anhalt and later with the subtitle
- Edition for the Evangelical Church of Anhalt, Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg, Evangelical Church of the Görlitz Church Area, Evangelical Church of Greifswald , Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony .
It comprised the song appendix “Sondergut der Konsistorialbezirke Berlin, Magdeburg, Greifswald and Görlitz and the Evang. Landeskirche Anhalts ”with the songs nos. 400–498 and“ Lobgesänge ”nos. 500–503. A hymn book with the same content as the songs also appeared in separate editions for the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg and for the Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony .
to bathe
By resolution of the regional synod of April 27, 1951, the hymn book in the Evangelical Church in Baden was introduced initially with the subtitle Edition for the United Evangelical Protestant Church of Baden and later with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Church in Baden for the Reformation Festival 1951 . It comprised the song appendix “Songs of the United Evangelical Protestant Church in Baden” with songs No. 400-516 and a melody appendix.
Bavaria
On May 3, 1957, the Bavarian regional synod decided to introduce the EKG with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria . The "song appendix to the Evangelical Church Hymn book for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria" comprised songs No. 401-547.
Berlin-Brandenburg
By resolution of the Provincial Synod of the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg on February 7, 1951, the church leadership introduced the EKG with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg on the 1st of Advent 1951 . His appendix included "Sondergut der Konsistorialbezirke Berlin, Magdeburg, Greifswald and Görlitz and the Evangelical Church of Anhalt" with the songs nos. 400–498 and “hymns” nos. 500–503. In the selection of songs it matched the joint edition of the other united regional churches in the GDR, namely the church of the Görlitz church area or the church of Silesian Upper Lusatia and the church in Greifswald or the Pomeranian Evangelical Church and the Evangelical Church of Anhalt, and it appeared also in a separate edition for the Evangelical Church of the ecclesiastical province of Saxony. It was also used in the later divided Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg (Berlin-West).
Braunschweig
The EKG with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Lower Saxony - Braunschweig for the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church in Braunschweig was announced in a circular of November 10, 1949 for confirmation in 1950 and then published. It contained a joint “song appendix to the Evangelical Church Hymns for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Lower Saxony” with songs No. 400-483, the “Special Appendix to the Evangelical Church Hymn book for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches Braunschweig and Schaumburg-Lippe” with songs No. 484 –498 as well as “Liturgical Chants” No. 500–580. The song inventory was identical in Braunschweig and Schaumburg-Lippe.
Bremen
The church committee of the Bremen Evangelical Church arranged for the publication of the EKG with the subtitle in Advent 1950. Nos. 400–479 belonged to the song appendix “Songs of the Evangelical Church in Bremen”.
Hanover
The EKG output for the Evangelical Lutheran churches in Lower Saxony - Hanover was introduced around 1950. The edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church of Hanover comprised the “song appendix to the Evangelical Church Hymn book for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Lower Saxony” with songs No. 400–483 and “Liturgical Chants” No. 500–580. The content of the songs was identical to the edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg.
Hesse and Nassau
The hymnbook published by the First Church Synod of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau on April 14, 1950 for the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau comprised the “song appendix to the Evangelical Church Hymnal for the Evangelicals Churches of Hesse ”with songs no. 401–478. The content of the songs was identical to the edition for the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck.
Kurhessen-Waldeck
The Kurhessen-Waldeck edition of the EKG included a “song appendix to the Evangelical Church Hymns for the Evangelical Churches of Hesse”, to which numbers 401-478 belonged. It was identical to the Hesse-Nassau edition.
Mecklenburg
Approx. 1950 was Lutheran Evangelical Landeskirchen Mecklenburgs the song number, the subtitle output for the Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg introduced. An “appendix of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg” contained songs 400-465. In 1975 Mecklenburg took part in the joint issue of all three Lutheran regional churches in the GDR. Thus, the new edition of the hymn book appeared under the title Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia . His “song appendix for Saxony, Thuringia and Mecklenburg” included songs no. 401–477 and “liturgical pieces” no. 501–536.
North Elbe
In the four predecessor churches of the later North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church (e.g. in Schleswig-Holstein by resolution of the regional synod of May 8, 1953), the issue for the Evangelical Lutheran regional churches Schleswig-Holstein-Lauenburg, Hamburg, Lübeck and Eutin introduced. Since about 1976 it had the subtitle Edition for the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church . The songs No. 400-499 and the liturgical chants No. 500-525 and later the liturgical chants No. 500-596 formed the "song appendix to the Protestant church hymn book for the Evangelical Lutheran regional churches Schleswig-Holstein-Lauenburg / Hamburg / Lübeck / Eutin ".
Oldenburg
The edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Lower Saxony - Oldenburg was published from around 1950 for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg . The songs nos. 400–498 and the liturgical chants under nos. 500–580 formed the “song appendix to the Evangelical Church Hymn book for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Lower Saxony”, which is identical to Hanover.
Palatinate
The Palatinate State Synod decided in May 1951 to publish the EKG with the subtitle Edition for the United, Protestant-Evangelical, Christian Church of the Palatinate in 1952. The subtitle was later changed to edition for the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate . The songs No. 400-498 formed the regional church part.
reformed Church
With the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Reformed Church in Northwest Germany , the Evangelical Reformed Church in Northwest Germany (today the Evangelical Reformed Church ) introduced the hymnal. His “Regional Church Song Part for Rhineland, Westphalia and Lippe as well as for the Evangelical Reformed Church in Northwest Germany” included not only the songs No. 400–553 shared with Lippe, Rhineland and Westphalia but also “Psalter 1–150” with some revisions by the Hymnal Committee.
Reformed parishes of the GDR
The Reformed congregations of the GDR introduced the EKG with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Reformed congregations in 1951 . His “song appendix” with songs nos. 400–498 as well as “Reformed Psalms in Selection”, which were selected according to a resolution of the 4th General Convention of Reformed Preachers in the GDR and Greater Berlin on October 24, 1951, formed the own stock.
Rhineland, Westphalia and Lippe
Due to a 40-year publishing contract for the Evangelical Hymnbook for Rhineland and Westphalia , which was published in 1929 , the Rhenish-Westphalian-Lippe EKG edition could only appear in 1969, which subsequently also led to the participating churches also using the subsequent Evangelical Hymnal as a Put the last one into use on Invokavit or on the 1st Sunday in Advent 1996. The output for the regional churches of Rhineland, Westphalia and Lippe was introduced on Invokavit, the 1st Passion Sunday, in 1969 in Westphalia and Lippe and on the 1st Advent in the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland . The song appendix "Landeskirchlicher Liedteile for Rhineland, Westphalia and Lippe as well as for the Evangelical Reformed Church in Northwest Germany" with the songs No. 400-556 was in its song inventory with the edition for the Evangelical Reformed Church - Synod of Evangelical Reformed Churches in Bavaria and Northwest Germany have the same content.
Saxony
In 1950 the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church of Saxony published the hymn book with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church of Saxony . Nos. 400–502 formed the “song appendix of the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church of Saxony”. In 1975 the Saxon regional church participated in the joint edition of all three Lutheran regional churches in the GDR. Thus, the new edition appeared under the title Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia . The songs nos. 401–477 and the “Liturgical Pieces” nos. 501–536 belonged to the “song appendix for Saxony, Thuringia and Mecklenburg”.
Church Province of Saxony
The EKG was published in a provincial Saxon edition for the Evangelical Church of the ecclesiastical province of Saxony on the 1st of Advent 1953. The basis was a provincial synodal resolution of February 14, 1952. It included the song appendix “Sondergut der Evangelische Kirche der Union und der Evangelische Landeskirche Anhalts” with songs no. 400–503 or “Sondergut der Konsistorialbezirke Berlin, Magdeburg, Greifswald and Görlitz and of the Evangelical Church of Anhalt ”with the songs nos. 400–498 and“ hymns of praise ”nos. 500–503. The song part coincided with the joint edition of the other united regional churches in the GDR, namely the church of the Görlitz church area or the church of Silesian Upper Lusatia and the church in Greifswald or the Pomeranian Evangelical Church, and the Evangelical Church of Anhalt and also appeared in one another separate edition for the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg .
Schaumburg-Lippe
Around 1950 the EKG with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Lower Saxony - Schaumburg-Lippe was introduced in the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church of Schaumburg-Lippe . The hymn book included the "hymn appendix to the Evangelical Church Hymns for the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Lower Saxony" with songs no. 400-483, the "special appendix to the Evangelical church hymn book for the Evangelical Lutheran regional churches of Braunschweig and Schaumburg-Lippe" with songs no. 484 –498 as well as “Liturgical Chants” No. 500–580. The song parts of the schaumburg-Lippe and the Braunschweig hymnbooks were identical.
Thuringia
On May 5, 1950, the Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia decided to introduce the EKG with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia . A “song appendix to the EKG for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia” with songs nos. 401–492 and “liturgical pieces” nos. 501–531 supplemented the main part. In 1975 the Thuringian Church participated in the joint edition of all three Lutheran regional churches in the GDR. Thus the new edition appeared under the title Edition for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia . This hymn book comprised the “song appendix for Saxony, Thuringia and Mecklenburg” with songs nos. 401–477 and “liturgical pieces” nos. 501–536.
Württemberg
The Evangelical Church in Württemberg introduced the EKG in Advent 1953. The basis was a resolution of the Evangelical Church Congress of November 13, 1952. The issue with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Church in Württemberg was accompanied by the song appendix "The special songs of the Evangelical Church in Württemberg" with the songs No. 401-599.
Austria
This hymn book, which was introduced in 1960 with the subtitle Edition for the Evangelical Church of Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions in Austria for the Evangelical Church AB in Austria and the Evangelical Church HB in Austria , included the song appendix “2. Part: The special songs of the Evangelical Church in Austria ”with songs No. 401–531.
Self edition of SELK
The Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church introduced the EKG in 1987 with its own appendix . It was supplemented in 2000 by the supplement to the Evangelical Lutheran Church Hymnbook.
The hymn book is still valid today. The introduction of a separate Lutheran hymn book is in preparation. A draft is under discussion. (As of September 2015).
literature
- Christhard Mahrenholz, Oskar Söhngen (Hrsg.): Handbook for the Evangelical Church Hymnal . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1953 ff. (In several editions).
Web links
- Bible and hymn book - Bible translations and Protestant hymn books from 1800
- Polyphonic choral movements in the EKG Württemberg
swell
- ↑ See the http://kirchenmusik-selk-nord.de/gesangbuch/ The SELK on the way to a hymnal.