Johann Hinrich Pratje

Johann Hinrich Pratje (born September 17, 1710 in Horneburg , † February 1, 1791 in Stade ) was general superintendent of the duchies of Bremen and Verden and historian .

Life

Johann Hinrich Pratje was born in 1710 as the son of a brewer. This could only finance him a short course, which Pratje completed at the University of Helmstedt . There he attended lectures by the church historian Johann Lorenz von Mosheim and attended lectures on philosophy and history, in which he got to know the importance of intensive study of sources.

At the age of 23 he was called to a pastor's position in his home town of Horneburg, and in 1743 to the pastor's office in Stade , where he became the second pastor of St. Wilhadi . In 1746 he was appointed consistorial advisor , and in 1749 he was appointed general superintendent of the duchies of Bremen and Verden.

The first historical studies of Pratje can be traced back to his pastoral position, but he initially published theological writings. He is counted among the representatives of transitional theology who have not yet left the framework of traditional orthodoxy, but who paved the way for a stronger rationalization of the doctrine of the faith during the Enlightenment.

He later published his own historical magazine, which he had to discontinue after the outbreak of the Seven Years' War . In 1769 he began to publish his magazine "Old and New from the Duchies of Bremen and Verden". In this, contributions to the history of the country and source texts were made. He benefited from his position as general superintendent, since in this position he had access to original documents in government and church archives, which he could use for his work. He also used the general church visits, which he had to carry out every seven years, to sift through sources and to get an idea on site. In view of the fact that his historical studies were almost only collections of material and not a descriptive national history, Pratje had to take in some fierce criticism in his time. Today, however, they are extremely useful, as many original sources have been lost and are only preserved in Pratje's work.

Fonts

• Clericus Unius Uxoris Maritus. Dissertatio Epistolica, Qua In Sensum Verborum D. Pauli (…) I Tim. III. V. 2. and 12. Tit. I. v. 6. Erbrich, Stade 1752 ( digitized version of the Saxon State Library in Dresden ).
• Panis ex lapidibvs. Dissertatio epistolica, qva visitatio generalis circvlorvm wvrsatici et Bederkesani et synodi, in dioecesibvs palaeogaea et Beverstetensi habendae, indicvntur. Erbrich, Stade 1753 ( digitized version of the State and University Library Bremen ).
• News from the royal Jungfrauenkloster Neuenwalde Duchy of Bremen. Including an advertisement of the general church visit in the Neuhäusische Probstey, and synods in the Beverstedter and Osterstadischen church districts. Erbrich, Stade 1758 ( Digitalisat the Berlin State Library ).
• Brem and Verdian catechism history. Erbrich, Stade 1762 ( digitized version of the State and University Library Bremen ).
• Brief attempt at a Verdens school history. Friedrich, Stade 1764 ( digitized version of the State and University Library Bremen ).
• Brief attempt at a Buxtehud school history. Friedrich, Stade 1765 ( digitized version of the State and University Library Bremen ).
• Brief attempt at a Stadic school history. Friedrich, Stade 1766–1769 ( digitized version of the State and University Library Bremen ).
• (Editor): Old and new from the Duchies of Bremen and Verden. 12 vols. Friedrichs, Stade 1769–1781 ( digitized version of the State and University Library Bremen ).
• Brief attempt at a history of the school and the Athenai at the Royal Cathedral of Bremen. Royal Privileged book printing, Stade 1771–1774 ( digitized version of the State and University Library Bremen ).

literature

• Karl Ernst Hermann Krause:  Pratje, Johann Hinrich . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 26, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1888, pp. 510-512.
• Hans Otte : “Mild Enlightenment”: theology and church leadership with Johann Hinrich Pratje (1710–1791), general superintendent of the duchies of Bremen and Verden. At the same time dissertation at the University of Göttingen 1987/88. Series: Studies on the Church History of Lower Saxony, Volume 30, Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, Göttingen 1989, ISBN 3-525-55234-3 .

Web links

Wikisource: Johann Hinrich Pratje  - Sources and full texts

• Literature by and about Johann Hinrich Pratje in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

1. ^ Andres Straßberger: Johann Christoph Gottsched and the 'philosophical' sermon. Studies on the enlightenment transformation of Protestant homiletics in the field of tension between theology, philosophy, rhetoric and politics. Tübingen 2010, p. 13 .