Georg Major

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Georg Major
Portrait of Georg Major from Warhaffte Portrait of a number of honorable princes and lords […] , 1562

Georg Major , actually Meier , usually Latinized as Georgius Maior (born April 25, 1502 in Nuremberg , † November 28, 1574 in Wittenberg ), was a Lutheran theologian.

Life

Georg Major initially attended school in Dresden, but came to the University of Wittenberg at the end of 1511 , where he entered the university's register. He was initially the electoral choir boy until he began studying in Wittenberg in 1521. On March 31, 1522 he became a Bacccalaurus and in 1523 earned the academic degree of Master of the Seven Liberal Arts. As a student of Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon , he became rector of the Magdeburg school in 1529 . In 1537 he became a preacher at the Wittenberg Castle Church , received his doctorate in theology on December 18, 1544 in Wittenberg, and became professor of theology the following year.

From August 1547 to October 1548 he was monastery superintendent at the cathedral in Merseburg , returned to Wittenberg on March 21, 1548, went from December 1551 to the end of 1552 as general superintendent in Eisleben to the St. Andrew's Church and then remained provost at the until his death Castle church in Wittenberg. For several years, Major was dean of the theological faculty of the Wittenberg University and four times (in the winter semester 1540, in the winter semester 1544, in the summer semester 1561, in the summer semester 1567) rector of the Alma Mater and in the summer semester 1559 prorector.

In 1541 he took part in the Regensburg Religious Discussion and in 1548 in the negotiations on the Leipzig Articles . From this activity developed his controversy ( majorist dispute ) with Nikolaus von Amsdorf about the relationship between faith and good works. Major, initially supported by Justus Menius , asserted their necessity for bliss, while Amsdorf presented good works as harmful to bliss and found support from Matthias Flacius and Viktorin Strigel . Major, who became superintendent in Eisleben in 1550 but had already returned to his work in Wittenberg the following year, withdrew his expression in 1562 to avoid misunderstandings. The Lutheran formula of concord rejected both opinions.

family

Major had married Margarethe von Mochau († October 10, 1577 in Wittenberg) on ​​August 10, 1528. He was in brotherhood with them through the wives of Andreas Bodenstein and Gerhard Westerburg . The marriage resulted in 12 children. Known of these are:

  • Georg († May 8, 1558) was a lawyer and left a widow Gertraud with two daughters.
  • Leonhard (* 1533; † September 17, 1547 in Merseburg) enrolled in UWB August 18, 1540, died of the bite of a rabid dog.
  • Johannes (* around 1544; † August 22, 1552 in Merseburg)
  • Christoph († May 8, 1558 / (59) in Wittenberg)
  • Magarethe Major (* around 1533; † January 31, 1573 in Wittenberg) married the notary at the Wittenberg Consistory Friedrich Drachstedt (* 1529 in Eisleben; † May 8, 1600 in Wittenberg).
  • Elisabeth († 1560, 18 years old)
  • Marie († October 18, 1569), who married Magister Paul Eber the Younger (teacher) on October 16, 1564 .
  • Anna married the theologian Paul Crell .
  • Katharina, who on June 15, 1561 received the Eisenach Magister Johann Purgold (from Eisenach, student Uni. Jena, since May 7, 1558 in Wittenberg, August 8, 1560 Magister, August 14, 1561 rec.phil. Fac. Ibid., 1571 Deacon, 1571 superintendent in Weißenfels) married. She married her second marriage on May 20, 1576 in Wittenberg with Johann Heidelberg from Eisleben, who had studied in Wittenberg since October 15, 1569.
  • Eva married Johann Böttcher on December 22, 1565 (also Bötticher, Botticher, Stanhufius, from Ruppin); she died in Zerbst and was buried there as the wife of the city council on November 23, 1573 (Roth Funeral Sermons 9637).

Works

Georg Major: A short term that all Christians owe to follow the example of the well-known Schecher (...) , Wittenberg 1543. (Translation of the text De exemplo emendati latronis propugnantis gloriam Christi in cruce Philipp Melanchthons (1540), VD 16 M. 3326) (online) .

VITÆ PATRUM, in vium ministrorum verbi, quo ad eius fieri potuit repurgatae. Per GEORGIUM MAIOREM. CUM PRESENTATION D. DOCTORIS MARTINI LUTHERI Wittenberg 1544.

literature

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Major, Georg
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Meier, Georg
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Lutheran theologian
DATE OF BIRTH April 25, 1502
PLACE OF BIRTH Nuremberg
DATE OF DEATH November 28, 1574
Place of death Wittenberg