Johann Draconites

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Johann Draconites by Bartholomäus Bruyn d. Ä.

Johann Draconites , actually Drach or Trach (e) , after his birthplace and John Carlstadt called (* around 1494 in Charles City ; † 18th April 1566 in Wittenberg ) was a German theologian, humanist philosopher and reformer.

Live and act

Johann Draconites apparently became an orphan early on. He enrolled at the University of Erfurt in 1509 , and obtained his master's degree in 1514. Under the influence of Eobanus Hessus , he became enthusiastic about the ideas of Erasmus von Rotterdam , with whom he was in correspondence from 1518 and whom he visited in the Netherlands in 1520 . In the humanist circle he became familiar with the ideas of Martin Luther's Reformation .

When Luther went to the Reichstag in Worms and stopped in Erfurt from April 6th to 8th, 1521 , Draconites accompanied his brother at Severi-Stift, Justus Jonas the Elder , while he went to meet Luther in Weimar . The following day, Draconites were expelled from the choir of the collegiate church. When the students intervened against the measures, he was reinstated in the choir, which was supposed to be an attempt by the rector to mediate. However, the clashes did not abate. Due to the constant hostility of the Old Believers, the Erfurt Pfaffenstürmen took place on June 10, 1521. At the end of June the plague broke out in Erfurt and the Draconites left the city, first to Nordhausen and then to Wittenberg .

There he first studied the Hebrew language, married the maid of Andreas Bodenstein in 1522, and in the spring of 1522 he became pastor in Miltenberg . From there he received his doctorate in theology at the University of Wittenberg in June 1523. Because of Lutheran teachings, Johannes Cochläus denounced him as a heretic in 1522. As a result, a process was initiated in 1523, the Draconites were excommunicated and had to leave the city. He first fled to Wertheim and sent letters of comfort to his community from Nuremberg and Erfurt.

In 1524 he became pastor in Waltershausen and in 1526 took part in the visitations in the Tenneberg office with Friedrich Myconius . In Waltershausen he could not really assert himself and therefore retired to Eisenach as a private citizen .

When Erhard Schnepf went to Württemberg, he named Draconites as his successor at the University of Marburg . He then became professor of theology and pastor there. The 13 years that he spent there were full of activity. Numerous expert opinions originate from this time, but he did not come to his scientific life work here, since he had to preach five times a week and give five lectures. Even so, he published some interpretations of biblical books and some sermons. Landgrave Philip of Hesse let him take part in important conventions. In 1536 he took part in the day of the Schmalkaldic League in Frankfurt am Main and in 1537 was a co-signatory of the Schmalkaldic Articles .

In 1541 he was involved in the Regensburg Religious Discussion . There the persuasive preacher dedicated his interpretation of the 117th Psalm to the city council, in which he expressed the wish that the city should follow the doctrine that is now called Lutheran . At the request of Chancellor Granvella, he had to leave the city. Alongside Adam Krafft , he is to be seen as the pillar of the Wittenberg theologians in Marburg . It was also he who gave the commemorative speech for Luther in front of the university in 1546. But he soon came into conflict with Theobald Thamer , who was favored by the young Landgrave Wilhelm the Wise , and thereupon took his leave.

He moved to Braunschweig via Nordhausen and went to Lübeck in the hope of being able to publish his long-planned work on the messianic prophecies here. After he had written his main work, God's Promises of Christ , in Lübeck , in autumn 1551 he accepted a call as preacher and professor of theology at the University of Rostock and in 1557 became city superintendent.

In the dispute between the other clergy and the city council over Sunday weddings, he took on a mediating position. Since he was also less strict with regard to admission to the Lord's Supper , he was sharply attacked by Tilemann Hesshus . In this dispute he emphasized the evangelical freedom from the Sabbath law, a princely commission found him wrong and refused to confirm him as city superintendent.

Thereupon in 1560 he accepted a call from Duke Albrecht I of Brandenburg-Ansbach as president of the diocese of Pomesanien in Marienwerder in Prussia . Here, too, his scientific inclinations could not be satisfied with the abundance of practical work. He therefore asked Duke Urlaub to have his life's work, a polyglot Bible (a Bible in Hebrew, Chaldean, Greek, Latin and German), printed in Wittenberg.

At great sacrifice he was able to publish part of this work, but only individual parts of the work appeared. However, since he stayed with this work despite the Duke's warnings and did not return to Marienwerder, the latter broke off relations with him. Trach died in Wittenberg on April 18, 1566. Draconites sacrificed his office and his fortune to the love of science. In spite of everything, his practical work remains more remarkable than his scientific achievement.

Fonts

For a complete directory, see the directory of the 16th century prints published in the German-speaking area .

  • Epistle to the Gemeyn zu Miltenberg. 1523
  • Confession of Faith and Doctrine. Erfurt 1525 ( digitized copy from the Bavarian State Library )
  • The hundred and seventeen psalm. Frankfurt am Main 1542 ( digitized version ) of the copy from the Bavarian State Library
  • Epistolae familiares Eobani Hessi. 1543
  • Right teaching. Tübingen 1544 ( digitized copy of the copy from the Bavarian State Library )
  • Speech on Luther's death in front of the University of Marburg. 1546
  • God's promises from Christ Jesus. Lübeck 1549–1551; at least 22 individual issues
Digital copies of the copies in the Bavarian State Library
  • Comments on books of the OT
  • Sermons
  • Biblia pentapla. 1563-65.

literature

Web links

Commons : Johann Draconites  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Draconites, Johann
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Carlstadt, Johannes; Trach, Johann; Trache, Johann; Drach, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German theologian, humanistic philosopher and reformer
DATE OF BIRTH around 1494
PLACE OF BIRTH Karlstadt
DATE OF DEATH April 18, 1566
Place of death Wittenberg