Gerhard Hecker (theologian)

Gerhard Hecker (* around 1465 ; † around 1538 in Osnabrück ) was a theologian of the 16th century.

Life

Hecker was first documented on April 25, 1480 when he was incorporated into the monastery in Lippstadt , the Augustinian Hermit Monastery of Lippstadt , by the order genral Ambrosius Massari de Cori (1476–1485) . On 22 December 1494 he enrolled in the University of Rostock as "Gherardus Hecker frater ordinis beati Augustini de conventu Osnaburgensi" one. He probably also received his doctorate theologicae there.

Hecker was one of the most effective personalities in the Augustinian order , who stood up primarily for Martin Luther and the new teaching. Nothing is known about his origin or his course of study. It is only known that he received his master's degree in 1497. Otherwise only the years in which he held religious offices are mentioned: in 1500, 1508, 1513 and 1520 he was provincial of the Saxon province. In 1505 he became the procurator of his monastery in Osnabrück. Hecker promoted the plans of Johannes von Staupitz to bring the reform congregation together with the province. His stance became clear in the Luther trial. When he was commissioned by the order general in 1518 to act as commissioner for the indulgence sermon in order to receive funds for a general chapter to be held in Venice , he withdrew. On August 25, 1518, at the Diet in Augsburg , he received the order from the Order General Gabriel Venetus to have Luther captured and extradited to Rome.

His reaction is unclear. Maybe he hadn't received the letter. In any case, the planned action did not take place. Another provincial was already there in 1520. He was present again at the Diet of Worms in 1521. Since then he has stayed at the Osnabrück Convention . He had a strong influence on individual friars. After Hermann Hamelmann , he preached there more often. His correspondence with Luther was destroyed after his death.

literature

• Theodor von Kolde : The German Augustinian Congregation . Gotha 1879, 318.
• Th. Kolde: Luther and his general in Rome . In: Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte 2, 1881, pp. 472–480, here 476.
• Thomas Beckmann: The former Augustinian hermit monastery in Osnabrück (= Osnabrück historical sources and research 13). 1970.
• Walter Delius : The Augustinian Hermit Order in the Luther trial. In: Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte 63, 1972, pp. 22–42, here 27.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Martin H. Jung: Gerhard Hecker and the beginnings of the Reformation in Osnabrück. In: Susanne Tauss, Ulrich Winzer (Ed.): Living together ?: Reformation and denomination in the Prince Diocese of Osnabrück 1500 to 1700. Landschaftsverband Osnabrücker Land Waxmann Verlag, Münster / New York 2017, ISBN 978-3-8309-3600-8 , p 65 f.