Jakob Elsner

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Jakob Elsner (March 1692 in Saalfeld , † October 8, 1750 in Berlin ) was a German Lutheran theologian .

Life

Jakob Elsner was born in Saalfeld in March 1692 as the son of a well-respected and wealthy citizen whose ancestors came from Bohemia . The father wanted his son to become a businessman , but he showed no interest in it and wanted to study. After Elsner had been trained at a school in his hometown, he moved to the University of Königsberg in order to devote himself to the oriental languages , among other things . At the reformed school in Königsberg he was hired as vice-principal in 1715 , at the same time he was also house chaplain of Count Alexander zu Dohna . He gave up this position as early as 1717 and went on a study trip through Danzig , Berlin and Kleve until he arrived in the Netherlands . He stayed there for four years and trained in biblical hermeneutics and antiquity .

Overall, Elsner acquired already at that time in the academic world such a reputation that in 1720 as a theology and Oriental him the Prussian king professor at the academic school Lingen called. A short time later he also became a preacher for the local Reformed church. He also received in 1728 by the Theological Faculty of the University of Utrecht the doctorate of theology. Two years later he went to the Joachimsthal Gymnasium as head and first professor , after initially refusing to admit the reputation. At the school, disorder and anarchy had broken out due to the work of the previous headmaster , which Elsner tried to improve. He gloriously coped with the task of restoring discipline and order to the school.

Because the job at the grammar school was too stressful for him, he looked for a quieter activity and wanted to accept a call as second preacher at the Parochial Church. In the end, however, he was also appointed consistorial advisor and spiritual inspector of the Joachimthalschen Gymnasium. He later became the first preacher and church director for the Reformed congregations. In 1742 he became director for the beautiful sciences at the Royal Society , which from 1744 was the Academy of Sciences.

Elsner died on October 8, 1750 at the age of 58 in Berlin.

Despite his offices, Elsner also wrote works, of which he published his sermons in particular. Apart from the Observationes sacrae in Novi Foederis libros and his latest description or illustration of today's Greek Christians in Turkey , his works have no scientific significance. The latter work is significant in that it illustrates the state of the Greek Church at that time; it is based on information from a Greek clergyman who traveled through Europe.

Works

  • Observationes sacrae in Novi Foederis libros (first volume Holland 1720, second volume 1728)
  • Latest description or illustration of today's Greek Christians in Turkey from credible narration by Mr. Athanasius Dorostamus, Archimandrite of the Patriarch of Constantinople with many testimonies to the most famous news and his own comments published (1737)

literature

personal data
SURNAME Elsner, Jakob
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Lutheran theologian
DATE OF BIRTH March 1692
PLACE OF BIRTH Saalfeld
DATE OF DEATH October 8, 1750
Place of death Berlin