Johann Friedrich Röhr
Johann Friedrich Röhr (born July 30, 1777 in Roßbach ; † June 15, 1848 in Weimar ) was a doctor of theology , general superintendent and court preacher in Weimar. In his writings and sermons he declared Christianity to be a pure religion of reason. Röhr is considered to be one of the last representatives of theological rationalism . In 1832 he gave the funeral speech at the funeral of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in Weimar.
General
Johann Friedrich Röhr was a well-known theologian at the time of Goethe, whose work is extensively acknowledged by Erhardt Hansche in his publication (see literature). Röhr created theological writings and was editor of the magazines Predigerliteratur , Chronikal Nachrichten, and Letters on Rationalism .
The Brockhaus writes: "Röhr ... one of the most distinguished among the pulpit speakers living now and the editor of several widespread theological journals".
Röhr tried to free the theological and christological statements of the New Testament from speculative, man-made dogmas in order to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ as simply, uncomplicated and understandable as possible.
There are the following quotes:
"He [Röhr] came to me at the happy hour, his first spiritual act was the baptism of my 2nd grandson."
"I in no way doubt the good effect that he will have, but personally I look forward to the hope that I will be able to get into a good relationship with him."
“What can count on permanent existence down below when the hand that creates everything, as a result of the unchangeable order established by it, also breaks the form which made it the bearer of the richest spiritual gifts from which the image of the Godhead shines out in us humans?
Only that is able to give us consolation and tranquility that the spiritual continues to live on earth when the earthly, with which it is clad, falls apart. "
In Roßbach, at house number 31, a plaque commemorates Johann Friedrich Röhr, who was born here.
In Weimar, Röhrstrasse has been a reminder of him since 1890, and Dr.-Friedrich-Röhr-Strasse also runs through his place of birth, Roßbach.
Career
Johann Friedrich Röhr is the son of the penniless master tailor and farmer Johann Gottfried Röhr (1752–1838) and his wife Eva Maria geb. Schmeißer (1752-1813). After his first marriage on August 26, 1804 with Maria Friderike, born Trömer (born August 26, 1792 in Merseburg , † August 22, 1805 in Ostrau), a daughter was stillborn in 1805, with the mother also dying as a result. On April 22nd, 1806, Röhr married Sophie Karolina Auguste geb. Erdmann in Dölzig , Schkeuditz district . A total of ten children were born from this marriage. She died of cancer in Leipzig in 1838 . In 1839, Röhr married the widow of the teacher and archaeologist Friedrich Sickler , Sophie Auguste b. Schieck (born November 19, 1792 in Hildburghausen , † January 16, 1876 in Weimar).
Röhr attended grammar school in Schulpforta from 1790 to 1796 and then studied philosophy and theology in Leipzig. After four years of study, he passed the exam in Dresden . Thereafter Röhr worked in the office of Vesper preacher at the University Church in Leipzig , and then since March 21, 1802 as assistant preacher in Schulpforta. On August 9, 1804, Röhr was given the management of the pastorate in Ostrau near Zeitz in the Burgenland district. He practiced this for 16 years. In 1819 an appointment to Königsberg as consistorial councilor, professor of theology and pastor in Königsberg was rejected. On May 10, 1820, Röhr was appointed as the successor to Johann Friedrich Krause as senior pastor at the parish church in Weimar , and at the same time as senior consistorial councilor and general superintendent of the Grand Duchy of Saxony-Weimar . This made Röhr the third successor in office to Johann Gottfried Herder . He held the offices until his death. He was awarded the House Order of the White Falcon .
Röhr taught and confirmed the future Empress Augusta , Princess Maria Augusta of Saxony and Grand Duke Carl Alexander . In 1820 Röhr received an honorary doctorate (doctor theologiae honoris causa) from the theological faculty of the University of Halle . On July 9, 1828, he spoke at the funeral of Duke Karl August in the Weimar Princely Crypt in the historical cemetery .
On March 26, 1832, Röhr held the only funeral speech at the funeral of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The mention of human weaknesses and infirmities, through which Goethe also pays his debt to his part of nature , brought him strong criticism from his contemporaries.
1837 wrote Karl Hase the font anti-Rohr , Leipzig. In 1840 Angelica Bellonata Facius modeled a sculpture by Röhr. Citizens of Weimar dedicated a poem and a trophy to Röhr, which they presented to him on May 19, 1844.
In the years from 1815 to 1848 Röhr published journals mainly with polemical content:
- 1810–1814 preaching literature
- 1815–1819 New and Latest Preacher Literature
- 1820–1848 Critical Preacher Library
In its contents he published attacks on the theologians Claus Harms , Johann Heinrich Karl Hengstenberg , Ernst Sartorius , Andreas Gottlob Rudelbach and Christoph Hävernick , but also against Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher and his students. Röhr himself was the defender of a popular rationalism , which is most clearly expressed in his programmatic writing Letters on Rationalism . But Röhr got into a dogmatic bias in the dispute with Karl August von Hase , who theoretically overcame Röhr's position in a critical examination . According to Röhr, the ultimate purpose of religion is pure morality, which strives for the ideal represented in Jesus' life and teachings. He starts from the principle of full freedom of belief, conscience and teaching in the church, with the restriction that the gospel should be interpreted linguistically and historically according to reason and conscience. He attaches regulative beliefs to this constitutive principle .
Johann Friedrich Röhr died in Weimar on June 15, 1848. He was buried on June 18, 1848 on the western wall of the historical cemetery in Weimar above the princely crypt .
Works (excerpt)
- Leipzig 1801 - Letter from a Saxon country preacher to one of his ministerial brothers about the sermon given by DFV Reinhard (Saxon court preacher) , ..., at the Reformation Festival in 1800
- Leipzig 1803 - The pious belief that good will still triumph on earth.
- Leipzig 1803 - Tabular overview of the English pronunciation.
- Zeitz 1811 - Who is consistent? Reinhard or Tschirner?
- Aachen 1813 - Letters on Rationalism. (462 pages)
- Zeitz 1815 - Sermon in homage to the Duchy of Saxony,….
- Zeitz 1816 - textbook of anthropology.
- Zeitz 1816 - Whether it is good luck to live gloriously and joyfully every day.
- Zeitz 1818 - Dr. Martin Luther's life and work, or a brief history of the Reformation.
- Zeitz 1819, Leipzig 1852 - Palestine or historical-geographical description of the Jewish land at the time of Jesus, to promote clear knowledge of Protestant history for religion teachers and educated Christian Bible readers (also in Dutch and English translation)
- Zeitz, Neustadt an der Orla 1820 - Christian official speeches at the opening of the Synod of the Ephorie Zeitz.
- Weimar 1821 - Inaugural sermon and sermon at the opening of the Weimar Parliament.
- Weimar 1822 - News of the general civic school to be built in Weimar by order of the Grand Duke,….
- Weimar 1822 - People's addiction to signs and miracles.
- Weimar 1822–1826 - Sermons in the court and city church in Weimar…. 3 vol.
- Weimar 1824 - Speech at the… Confirmation of Her Highness the Duchess of Saxony Marie Luise Alexandrine on Aug. 11, 1824….
- Neustadt an der Orla 1825 - The Jesuits as mediators of a Protestant church agenda.
- Neustadt an der Orla 1825 - words of truth against the denigration of our evangelical church by its opponents at the Reformation festivals….
- Weimar 1826 - The hope of a renewed connection with our loved ones beyond the grave….
- Zeitz 1826–1830 - Christian festival and Occasional sermons delivered to a rural church. 3 vol.
- Weimar 1827 - Speech at the solemn confirmation of Her Highness the Duchess of Saxony Marie Luise Auguste Catharina on Aug. 21, 1827.
- Weimar 1828 - Commemorative sermon at the… death celebration of Carl August's Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
- Weimar 1828 - funeral speech after the solemn funeral ... Carl Augusts ....
- Neustadt an der Orla 1828 - Our Lord as a determined friend of reason in religious matters….
- Neustadt an der Orla 1828 - The moral integrity in which our evangelical church came into existence.
- Magdeburg 1829 - Words of warning against the disdain for our human nature.
- Weimar 1829 - That the salvation of a people is most surely achieved from within….
- Zeitz 1829 - Palestine or historical-geographical description of the Jewish land at the time of Jesus. (266 pages)
- Weimar 1830 - Commemorative sermon at the… death celebration of… Grand Duchess of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach Louise….
- Neustadt an der Orla 1830 - Sermon on the celebration of the Augsburg Confession,….
- Neustadt an der Orla 1831- Interpretation of the six-week catechism lessons given to false teachers of that time by the editorial staff of the Protestant church newspaper.
- Zeitz 1831 - Palestine or historical-geographical description of the Jewish land at the time of Jesus.
- Weimar 1831 - Christological sermons or spiritual speeches about the life, the change, the teaching and the merits of Jesus Christ.
- Weimar 1832 - Basic principles and beliefs of the Evangelical-Protestant Church.
- Neustadt an der Orla 1832, 1834, Plauen 1860 - sermons about the new Weimar gospel book or about free texts. 3 vol.
- Weimar 1832, 1846 - Two school speeches,….
- Weimar 1832 - Words of mourning at von Goethe's funeral on March 25, 1832.
- Weimar 1834 - Our Lord as the model of all do-gooders ... two sermons.
- Weimar 1833 - Brief history of the Reformation for school and home.
- Weimar 1834 - Altar speech at the solemn introduction of FT Krause in place of a second deacon at the main u. City Church of Weimar….
- Weimar 1834 - Speech at the solemn confirmation of Sr. Royal Highness Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Carl Alexander August Johann given on November 14th.
- Sulzbach 1835 - religious confessions of two rational friends namely a Protestant and a Catholic theologian….
- Leipzig 1838 - Christian official speeches held on various occasions.
- Magdeburg 1838 - The position that Christ assigned to his church in civil society.
- Weimar 1838 - Sermon at the Reformation Festival 1838.
- Weimar 1840 - Sermon on the Johannis-Feste 1840, as the 400th anniversary of the book printing art,….
- Schleusingen 1841 - Small theological writings on dogmatic, homiletic and historical content.
- Jena 1841 - That many Christian states of our time are working on their own ruin….
- Leipzig 1842 - The good cause of Protestantism. Depicted in six pulpit lectures given at the annual Reformation festivals in Weimar.
- Weimar 1842 - The spiritual blessing of the calamitous state of nature around us. A sermon….
- Weimar 1842 - The change of home and fatherland, which life carries with it for many people.
- Weimar 1843 - How much the restoration of the pure gospel of Jesus cost the earlier confessors of it,….
- Weimar 1843 - The uplifting memory of the glorious peculiarities of our German people ... on the 1000 year anniversary of the independence of the German people.
- Neustadt an der Orla 1843 - magazine for Christian preachers, published by Dr. Johann Friedrich Röhr.
- Neustadt an der Orla 1844 - The perfect unity of our church essentially of its Christian confession….
- Weimar 1844 - The uplifting and joyful thing about belief in a better life, which the Christian Easter offers us….
- Weimar 1844 - How God's gracious hand transforms human suffering into joy.
- Weimar 1845 - Urgent reference to the Pharisees of the Christian Church who abuse the holy name of Jesus….
- Weimar 1846 - The good cause of German Catholicism. A testimony to the same.
literature
- Gustav Frank : Röhr, Johann Friedrich . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 30, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1890, pp. 92-94.
- Gustav Frank (Ed.): History of Protestant Theology III . Breitkopf and Härtel, Leipzig 1905.
- Christian Gotthilf Ficker (Ed.): About the Dr. Röhr proposed principles and beliefs of the Evangelical Protestant Church: a theological concern . Leipzig 1836.
- The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge X, 64 f., Ed. By SM Jackson, Grand Rapids Michigan 1969.
- Erhardt Hansche: Johann Friedrich Röhr (1777–1848) and theological rationalism . 4th edition. Lohan, Berlin July 2011.
- Johann Friedrich Röhr: Commemorative speeches from 1832–1949: Words of mourning at von Goethe's funeral on March 26th, 1832, spoken by D. Johann Friedrich Röhr Grand Duke. Court preacher . Ed .: Walter Iwan. Gustav Kiepenheuer, Weimar 1957, p. 18-24 .
Web links
- Literature by and about Johann Friedrich Röhr in the catalog of the German National Library
- Works by and about Johann Friedrich Röhr in the German Digital Library
- Johann Friedrich Röhr in the Internet Archive
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Johann Friedrich Krause | General Superintendent of Saxe-Weimar 1776–1803 |
Wilhelm Dittenberger |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Röhr, Johann Friedrich |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | theologian |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 30, 1777 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Rossbach (Naumburg) |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 15, 1848 |
| Place of death | Weimar |