Johann Böschenstein

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Johann Böschenstein (* 1472 in Esslingen am Neckar ; † 1540 in Nördlingen ; also Johannes Böschenstain ) was a German Hebrew , hymn poet and mathematician .

Johann Böschenstein, copper engraving

Life

Johann was born as the son of the Esslingen fisherman Heinrich Böschenstein. After he was ordained a priest in 1494, he went to Augsburg and Ingolstadt , where he learned the Hebrew language from Moses Möllin from Weißenburg , Caspar Amman (1450–1524) and Johannes Reuchlin . In Ingolstadt he was Johannes Eck's housemate and taught Hebrew and mathematics. In 1518 he made contact with Martin Luther who was to take him to Wittenberg .

In Wittenberg, on the initiative of Philipp Melanchthon , attempts were made to combine theology with the Hebrew language, since Hebrew was viewed as a means of understanding the Holy Scriptures. An "ad fontes" (to the sources) of the ancestors of the church was in the foreground. That is why Böschenstein was appointed first full professor at the University of Wittenberg , where he received the professorship of the Hebrew language in November 1518. As a philologist, Böschenstein tried to practice language and literature for their own sake and to bring the students to Hebrew rhetoric by speaking Hebrew.

According to Georg Spalatin , Böschenstein had a large number of students. For teaching purposes he published the book “Hebraicae grammaticae institutiones”, which was intended as an elementary grammar for study. However, the newly created professorship was not sufficiently financially sound and his relationship with Martin Luther had become more difficult, since Hebrew philology was only viewed as an auxiliary science of theology. Therefore he left Wittenberg in January 1519 and went to Augsburg and Nuremberg as a schoolmaster. He changed places of activity several times. So he went to Nördlingen, Heidelberg and Antwerp. In Zurich, too, in 1522 he worked as a teacher for Ulrich Zwingli and Felix Manz in Hebrew.

Despite multiple hostilities, he went down in history as a personality and is known to this day as a co-founder of Hebrew studies and the initiator of numerical calculations for beginners, whom he wanted to encourage independent thinking. He has also composed four hymns, which, like his theological activities, lag behind his achievements in the field of the Hebrew language.

Works

The title page of "Elementale introductorium in hebraeas literas" (Augsburg 1514)
  • "Elementale introductorium in hebraeas literas" Augsburg 1514
  • "Hebraicae grammaticae institutiones" Wittenberg 1519
  • "Rudimenta Hebaica" Augsburg 1520
  • "Ain Newordinated Rechenbichlein" 1514
  • "Ain Diemitige promise: ..." ( Google )
  • "Ain Christian empty ..." ( Google )
  • "Ain getreüwe ermannung zů all folk gaistlichs and secular standing of the crystalline churches, arouse and disgrace to prevent" ( Google )
  • "David's seven sermons" 1520 (Latin) 1536 (German)
  • “In this Biechlin there are greyed three poems, in singing white. Out going through Johann Böschenstain "1523 ( Google )
  • "... wish everyone dancers and dancers, a quick turn around on the Rayen, a panting heart, tired feet, cloudy eyes, sweaty face, with many unhappy thoughts ..." Augsburg 1533 ( Google )

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Böschenstein, Johann
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Böschenstain, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Hebraist, hymn poet and mathematician
DATE OF BIRTH 1472
PLACE OF BIRTH Esslingen am Neckar
DATE OF DEATH 1540
Place of death Nordlingen