Jakob Ganz

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Jakob Ganz

Jakob Ganz (born March 6, 1791 in Embrach ; † December 25, 1867 there ) was a Swiss preacher of the revival movement and author of enthusiastic religious writings.

Life

Ganz was the son of Melchior and Judith Ganz (née Steiner). After an apprenticeship as a tailor and a brief episode as a school teacher, he succeeded in following his appointment as a clergyman with the support of the Zürcher Auxiliary Society , despite strong opposition and a lack of previous training , and so he studied theology in Basel from 1814 and was examined in autumn 1815. Ganz first started as vicar in Seengen and was noticed there by his zeal, which his superior pastor, however, disapproved of as excessive zeal. During this time he also came into contact with the Russian pietist Juliane von Krüdener and the Moravian circles. After some disagreements, Ganz was finally transferred to the Staufberg Church near Lenzburg in Aargau to help the elderly pastor there .

As a result of the year without summer 1816 , hunger prevailed in large parts of Switzerland and the desperation and longing for salvation among the rural population was great, as was the unrest, and the political situation in the newly established canton of Aargau was also problematic. Vicar Ganz's sermons of penance and conversion soon attracted such masses that the police, cantonal government and church authorities became aware of him. The latter expressed itself through the dean Hünerwadel that

“… Mr. Ganz through this winter, as well as earlier apparently worked towards spreading religious fanaticism among the people through his way of preaching, by his lectures not the pure teaching of the Gospel, but more the impure children of the bigots and apocalyptic dreamers in take hold; that through his behavior on and under the pulpit he had managed to gather around every Sunday a crowd that the church on Staufberg could not hold [...], almost adored by them, at least more than any other clergyman respected and asked about the forgiveness of sins; that he even undertakes to sneak into other communities and carry on his being elsewhere ... "

Since enthusiasm, disorder and even overcrowding of churches cannot be tolerated, the church and the authorities finally decided to remove Ganz. On February 5, 1817, after a summons to his dean Hünerwadel, he was handed over to Oberamtmann Bertschinger, who opened the eviction for him and immediately afterwards had him transported to the canton of Zurich in a coach under guard without having to leave his community may say goodbye. After his dismissal, Ganz stayed in Embrach, with friends in Basel and for a few weeks in Alsace with Pastor Oberlin , who was then 77 years old and encouraged him to record his memories.

In the summer and autumn of 1817, Ganz accompanied von Krüdener's wife on her missionary trip to Switzerland, Württemberg and Baden , but was separated from her in November and sent back home. A phase of despondency followed, during which he was supported by Franz Karl von Berckheim, the son-in-law of Frau von Krüdener. During a stay in Lausanne he got to know the writings of the quietistic mystic Madame Guyon . This reading initiated a turn to mysticism and silent devotion to God, which was to become decisive for him in the following years. He first lived in Basel for a time and then in Buch am Irchel for a longer period .

In 1823 he again became the subject of public attention when his relationship with Margaretha Peter became known, the "Saint Gret", who first murdered her sister in rapturous madness and then had herself crucified. Margaretha met Peter completely in the summer of 1817 when Peter was introduced to Frau von Krüdener's wife. In 1820, Ganz visited the family in Wildensbuch and in the following year he met Margaretha and her friend Ursula Kündig (later the main performers of the crucifixion and killing of Margaretha) in Basel, when they were "spiritually driven" through the Swiss countryside. At the time of the tragedy, however, there was no longer any contact.

As far as is known, Ganz remained unmarried throughout her life. In recent years the name "Anna Babeli" appears several times in letters, but the nature of the relationship remains unclear. During the time of his crisis after separating from Mrs. von Krüdener in 1817, he seems to have found a maternal friend and “soul guide”, whose name he is named “B. St. “and whose identity is unknown. It is not known whether and where he settled permanently in the years after 1817; he stayed in Basel, Schaffhausen and Winterthur . He lived somewhat withdrawn, but was still considered a troublemaker, published a number of writings, the majority of which were written before 1826, including (following the advice of Pastor Oberlin) his childhood memories in two volumes. He also wrote numerous letters that his friends collected after his death and published in two volumes. In 1867, at the age of 76, he died early in the morning on Christmas Day in his birthplace in Embrach.

Fonts

  • Sermon about Luc. 19, 41.42 "and when He came near, he looked at the city and wept over it," held in 1817. 1817.
  • Sermons on freely chosen texts by Jakob Ganz, former vicar on the Staufberg, Canton Aargau. Printed there at the request of his friends. 1817.
  • The youth of Jakob Ganz, former vicar on Staufberg, described by himself in 2 vols. 1818 a. 1820. New edition: Villiger, Wädenswil 1958.
  • A word of love and seriousness to young theologians about the high profession of the teacher in the pulpit. Canton Aargau 1818. New edition: Pilgermissions-Buchdruckerei, St. Chrischona 1865.
  • The secret of godliness. 1820. New edition: St. Johannis-Druckerei, Dinglingen [approx. 1908].
  • Testimony to the truth. Promoted to print by JGSMC Truth Loving Friends. 1820. 5th edition. Book printing by Friedrichkapier, Aarau 1864.
  • Individual, illuminating and instructive information about the destiny and history of man. 1826. New edition: Zurich 1844.
  • Schwanen-Gesang, or further information on the existing ones, written down in 1826. St. Chrischona 1865.
  • Sermons. P. Kober, CF Spittler's successor, Basel 1866.
  • Spiritual letters from the Blessed Vicar Jakob Ganz. 2 vols. Basel 1870 a. 1879.
  • The prayer without ceasing. E. Fink, Zurich 1959.

Translation:

literature

  • Fritz Ganz-Weidmann: Jakob Ganz (1791–1867) In: Zwingliana Vol. 12, H. 8 + 9 (1967/68), pp. 603–664, part 1 , part 2 .
  • Christine Nöthiger-Strahm: Quite, Jakob. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  • Réne Probst: Aargau Protestantism in the Restoration Period. Dissertation, Zurich 1968.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ganz-Weidmann: Jakob Ganz (1791–1867) In: Zwingliana Vol. 12, H. 8 (1967), pp. 615f.
  2. ↑ Ganz-Weidmann: Jakob Ganz (1791–1867) In: Zwingliana Vol. 12, H. 8 (1967), p. 627.
personal data
SURNAME Quite, Jakob
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss preacher of the revival movement
DATE OF BIRTH March 6, 1791
PLACE OF BIRTH Embrach
DATE OF DEATH December 25, 1867
Place of death Embrach