George of Ghese

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George of Ghese
Deceased March 13, 1559
Holiday March 13 ( Evangelical calendar of names )

Georg von Ghese (* in Milan , Italy ; † March 13, 1559 ), Latinized Georgius de Gese , in English-speaking countries also George of Ghese , in Dutch George de Gese , in French Georges de Gese , was a Milanese merchant, silk weaver and evangelical martyr .

Life

Around 1555 Georg von Ghese traveled from Milan to Zurich . There he met other Italians who had to leave their country because of their evangelical faith. During this time he developed an interest in preaching this belief.

When an Italian-speaking Evangelical Reformed church was founded in Geneva , he relocated his business there. The community benefited from his financial and non-material donations. After all, he also wanted to bring his son from Milan to Geneva. The Milanese Cardinal Filippo II Archinti (see list of Archbishops of Milan ) then arrested Gheses son. The son was released after a year in exchange for a large ransom.

In 1557 Georg von Ghese returned to Milan for a visit. His wife betrayed him to the cardinal. He received a prison sentence with severe prison conditions. After 18 months he and other prisoners managed to escape, whereupon he sought refuge with his brother. This also betrayed him. Georg von Ghese was arrested. Karl Borromeo was involved in his trial and angrily called out to him: "You fool, do you think you are wiser than all of us?" Georg von Ghese was sentenced to death and burned at the stake on March 13, 1559 .

Remembrance day

March 13 in the Evangelical Name Calendar .

Before the introduction of the official name calendar, the day of remembrance was already listed in:

  • Theodor Fliedner : Book of Martyrs , Kaiserswerth 1849/1859, Vol. 4, pp. 1399-1404
  • Jörg Erb : The Cloud of the Witnesses , Kassel 1951/1963, Vol. 4, pp. 508-520

reception

Claas Bruin (1670–1732) published the book Korte schets van het leven en sterven der Martelaren in 1719, which includes the poem De Verbranding van Georgius de Gese about him, following the chapter and the illustration of Georg von Ghese :

The branding of GEORGIUS DE GESE.
Date of all Christians, ô godly DE GESE!
De brandende yver voor Gods wet, de wakk're trouw,
En zuiv're zeeden uit uw heerlyk voorbeeld leeze,
Op dat de grondvest van het geestelyk Gebouw
Steeds pal sta in een´ storm from hoon, en smaad, en lyden.
The overwinnen wil moet onophoud´lyk stryden.

Simon Doekes quoted the poem in 1741 in his collection of poems Verzameling der overgeblevene bybelzede- en mengelpoëzy .

In 1747 it appeared in De Historie der Martelaren by Adriaen Cornelis van Haemstede, here, as in 1719, again as a caption for a biography of Georg von Ghese.

Georg von Ghese is mentioned in the historical crime novel Blood for Spirit by Nicole Billeter, ISBN 978-3-033-02151-8 , from 2009.

Web links

literature

personal data
SURNAME George of Ghese
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Georgius de Gese; George of Ghese; George de Gese; Georges de Gese
BRIEF DESCRIPTION martyr
DATE OF BIRTH 15th century or 16th century
PLACE OF BIRTH Milan
DATE OF DEATH March 13, 1559