Friedrich Dörr (theologian)

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Friedrich Dörr (born March 7, 1908 in Obereschenbach ; † May 13, 1993 in Eichstätt ) was a Catholic priest and professor of theology who also excelled as a hymn poet .

Life

Dörr, who came from a family of bakers, was the son of Georg Dörr, who was mayor of his hometown until 1933. Since he was eleven, Friedrich attended the humanistic grammar school in Eichstätt as a member of the Collegium Willibaldinum . Soon after graduating in 1927, he began studying philosophy and theology in Rome at the Collegium Germanicum in the autumn of the same year .

In 1930 he received his doctorate from the Pontifical Gregorian University Dr. phil. On 29 October 1933 he received in Rome by Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani the priesthood . In 1935 he wrote the theological doctoral thesis Diadochus von Photike and the Messaliner .

In August 1935 he returned to the Eichstätt diocese and worked as a pastor in Erkertshofen , Fünfstetten , Wemding , Dietfurt , St. Walburg and Eichstätt as well as at Eichstätt Cathedral . In April 1940 he was drafted into the Wehrmacht, where he first worked as a medical soldier, then from 1942 as a war pastor . As such he was used in southern France, off Leningrad , in the Caucasus and in Croatia . In March 1944 he became local pastor in Denmark and West Prussia . Shortly before his death, Dörr wrote in the essay If I go, my place will no longer be occupied about his war experiences. He witnessed conversions, but also the shooting of deserted soldiers, where he had to be present.

Immediately after the end of the war, on November 1, 1945, he became professor of systematic philosophy and education at the Philosophical-Theological University in Eichstätt . From 1964 to 1968 he was rector of the university. He also served as chairman of the Eichstätt Student Aid.

For nine years, from 1966 to 1975, he worked in the song commission of the praise of God and wrote his own song and hymn texts. Johannes Baptist Lotz valued them because of their dogmatic depth and their simple, clear and yet beautifully flowing form. Among his most famous songs are Mary, love you, sacrament of God's love, God calls his people together , what the earth gives us good and O holy body of the Lord . In the 1978 book of hours more than 30 hymns were included. He has also worked on numerous separate parts of the book of hours.

In 1948 he founded the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge in Eichstätt , for which he was very committed. Dörr was an extraordinary member of the Arts Section of the Bavarian Benedictine Academy. He was a member of the Catholic student union KÖHV Rugia in the ÖCV .

Lyrics in Gotteslob (editions 1975 and 2013)

  • Before the light of day passes (after Te lucis ante terminum ; Gotteslob (1975) 696; Gotteslob 663)
  • Christ, you are the bright day (according to Christe, qui lux es et dies ; GL (1975) 704; GL 90)
  • Triune Hidden God (GL (1975) 279)
  • You king on the throne of the cross (GL (1975) 553)
  • You light of heaven, great god (after Deus qui coeli lumen es ; GL 615)
  • A house full of glory looks (GL (1975) 639; GL 478) pseudonym: Hans W. Marx
  • God calls his people together (GL (1975) 640; GL 477)
  • I am baptized and consecrated to God (GL (1975) 635; GL 491)
  • Come, Heilger Geist, who creates life (according to Veni Creator Spiritus ; GL (1975) 241; GL 342)
  • Announces everyone in need (GL (1975) 106; GL 221)
  • Maria, love you (GL (1975) 594; GL 521)
  • O God, your will created the world (according to Deus creator omnium ; GL 628)
  • O holy body of the Lord (GL (1975) 538)
  • O dear Jesus, I think yours (based on Jesu dulcis memoria ; GL (1975) 550; GL 368)
  • Sacrament of God's love (according to Tantum ergo ; GL (1975) 542; GL 495)
  • What the earth gives us good (GL (1975) 490; GL 186)
  • We are baptized into the death of Christ (GL (1975) 220, 3 + 4; GL 329, 3 + 4)

Hymns in the Book of Hours (1978)

In contrast to God's praise, Friedrich Dörr was not a member of the working group for the hymns, so that many of his suggestions were initially not heard. As the diocesan representative for the book of hours, however, he received the drafts for the German hymn. Particularly in the case of the hymns of the Ordinarium, he criticized the often too literal translation, the intellectually turned style, which let the "swing of the hymns" get lost. The Eichstatt Bishop Alois Brems sent Dörr's criticism with his counter-drafts on January 2, 1978 to all bishops in the German-speaking area. Joseph Cardinal Höffner (Cologne) and the bishops Friedrich Wetter (then Speyer) and Josef Stimpfle (Augsburg) also clearly supported Dörr's hymns. As a result, the entire hymn was revised in January with Dörr according to the maxim “fluent German, frequent use of rhyme, greater adaptation to the understanding of today's people, renunciation of archaic character and overall more 'hymnic swing'”. In this way, at the very last minute - in February 1978 the license to practice medicine took place - 31 hymns (transcriptions or individual new poems) Dörrs were included in the book of hours.

  • Before the light of day passes
  • Christ, you are the bright day
  • Christ, Lord divine, loves you
  • Christ, mighty God
  • This is your day, Lord Jesus Christ
  • The Word of the Father, God the Son
  • The day draws towards the evening
  • The day is reaching its height
  • Good creator of light you
  • You, God the Father without origin and end
  • You, high Creator, praise man
  • Trinity, Triune God
  • Triune Hidden God
  • You god of light, like the father
  • You light of heaven, great God
  • You mighty God who this world
  • Eternal God, out of nowhere
  • Eternal, good God
  • Hail to the day that crowns our days
  • Come, Holy Spirit who creates life
  • Come, Holy Spirit, from the eternal throne
  • Michael, fight for the glory of God
  • Night and cloud and darkness
  • Take it graciously, good Lord and God
  • O God, from your clear light
  • O God, your will made the world
  • O God, you steer with a strong hand
  • O Roma felix! The apostle's death
  • The day is already fast approaching
  • The light of day is already coming
  • See, the light rises golden

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Songs of Praise to God. History - liturgy - culture . Catholic Biblical Works, Stuttgart, ISBN 978-3-460-42900-0 , p. 269 f .
  2. ↑ Marco Benini: Friedrich Dörr - life and work . In: Marco Benini (ed.): God praise in hymns and chants. Friedrich Dörr - poet for God's praise and book of hours. EOS-Verlag, St. Ottilien 2018, ISBN 978-3-8306-7888-5 , pp. 18-27 .
personal data
SURNAME Dörr, Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German theologian and hymn poet
DATE OF BIRTH March 7, 1908
PLACE OF BIRTH Wolframs-Eschenbach
DATE OF DEATH May 13, 1993
Place of death Eichstatt