Johann Gutslaff

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Johann Gutslaff , Johann (es) Gütslaff or Gutsleff, (* in Dobra , Pomerania , buried on March 11 . Jul / 21st March  1657 greg. In Tallinn ) was a Baltic German pastor and writer. He was one of the formative designers of the South Estonian language (Võro).

education

Johann Gutslaff studied theology at the universities in Greifswald and Leipzig . Then he moved from Pomerania to the Baltic States .

pastor

He learned the local language very quickly in northern Livonia . In 1639 he spent an academic year at the University of Tartu, which had only been launched seven years earlier . From 1642 Gutslaff worked as a pastor in Urvaste .

Võro language

Coined by the idea of conveying the Bible and the Christian faith to the local peasant population , Johann Gutslaff was one of the formative creators of the South Estonian written language . 1648 appeared in Tartu in Latin his Observationes circa Grammaticae linguam Esthonicam , the first systematic grammar of the language.

In addition, Gutslaff translated the Old Testament into the South Estonian written language. These works between 1648 and 1656, however, remained fragmentary and unprinted. His son Eberhard and his two grandchildren Heinrich and Eberhard the Elder. J. were able to present at least one translation of the New Testament into the Estonian language in 1715 .

In addition to a report on the peasant uprisings of 1642 in Urvaste and Sõmerpalu , Johannes Gutslaff wrote important records on the popular beliefs of the Estonians of that time. In 1644, his Kurtzer report and lessons from the Falsch-Heiliggendenden brooks in Lieffland Wöhhanda were printed in Tartu . In it he writes about the Estonians that they know no more about the Christian faith than that they were baptized. The book is especially important for the reproduction of an evocation of the pagan weather god Pikne by the farmer Vihtla Jürgenilt from Erastvere.

In 1656 Johann Gutslaff moved to Tallinn , where he died of the plague a year later . In 1973 a memorial plaque was put up in his honor at the church of Urvaste.

literature

  • Haarmann, Harald (ed.): The Estonian grammars of the 17th century. Heinrich Stahl 1637, Johann Gutslaff 1648. Hamburg 1976
  • Lakkakorpi, Laila Irmeli: Observations on the vocabulary in the work “Kurtzer report and lessons from the Falsch-Heilig-Genendes Baeche in Liefland Wochanda” by Johann Gutslaff. Helsinki 1964

Web links

Baltic Historical Commission (Ed.): Entry on Johann Gutslaff. In: BBLD - Baltic Biographical Lexicon digital

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Entry in the burial register of the Olaikirche zu Reval (Estonian: Tallinna Oleviste kirik)
  2. ↑ Kurtzer report vnd ​​Vnterricht from the Falsch-Heiligigen brooks in Lieffland Wöhhanda. This resulted in the Christian burning down of the Sommerpahl mills. From Christian Eyfer, given because of the pre-Christian and Heydnian superstitions By Johanne Gutslaff, Pomer. Pastorn zu Vrbs in Lieffland. - Dorpt in Lieffland, Hans Ohm, 1644: J. Vogel
personal data
SURNAME Gutslaff, Johann
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gutslaff, Johannes; Gütslaff, Johannes; Gutsleff, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-Baltic pastor
DATE OF BIRTH 16th century or 17th century
PLACE OF BIRTH Daber (Western Pomerania)
DATE OF DEATH buried March 21, 1657
Place of death Tallinn