Johannes Grynaeus

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Watercolor by Peter Toussaint (1838), copy after a painting in the Frey-Grynean Institute; in the legend for watercolor wrong as Johann Ludwig Frey identified

Johannes Grynaeus or Gryner (born June 8, 1705 in Läufelfingen , † April 11, 1744 in Basel ) was a Basel scholar of theology and jurisprudence . In memory of him, his colleague Johann Ludwig Frey set up the Frey-Grynaeische Institut in Basel in 1747 , the purpose of which was to "promote the glory of God and start studying theology". Among other things, a library was built which today is “one of the most important preserved book collections of the 18th century”.

Life

origin

Johannes Grynaeus was born in 1705 as the youngest son of Samuel Grynaeus, reformed pastor in Läufelfingen and church dean of the Waldenburg and Homburg chapter, and of Anna Katharina Fäsch in Läufelfingen. The Grynaeus family was a respected family of theologians in Basel, the Fäsch family was known for their service to the Basel community. Grynaeus' father died in 1706, after which the mother and the family moved back to Basel.

Training and teaching

Rector's register of the University of Basel, Rector's office of Johannes Grynaeus 1742/1743

According to the mother, her son Johannes had an attentive mind and a good memory, so that he was promoted young and was able to take the final exam at the grammar school at the end of the school year 1716/17. In March 1717 Grynaeus enrolled at the University of Basel . He obtained his master's degree in 1720 and then began studying law, which he successfully completed after four years. During the course of his legal studies, he became concerned with Jewish law, which led him to learn more about the Jewish religion and to learn Hebrew and Arabic . In 1732 the mother died and Grynaeus moved in with his colleague Johann Ludwig Frey .

He enrolled in the theological register in 1731 and began studying theology. During the next few years he dealt intensively with the writings of contemporary theologians such as Samuel Werenfels , Jakob Christoph Iselin and above all Johann Ludwig Frey. From 1736 Grynaeus began various teaching activities at the University of Basel, initially as a deputy on the Hebrew chair. After his doctorate he took over the professorship for Loci communes et controversiae theologicae in early 1738 and two years later he succeeded Samuel Werenfels on the chair for the New Testament . He was a representative of "reasonable orthodoxy", a theology between Pietism and Enlightenment , which above all emphasizes the living faith and seeks commonalities between the Protestant churches. He was twice dean of the theological faculty and in May 1742 he was elected rector of the University of Basel for the coming academic year .

Sickness and death

Grave inscription for Johannes Grynaeus, from the funeral sermon given for him by Emanuel Ryhiner

Grynaeus had been "weak in constitution" since childhood and was therefore never able to travel abroad. However, he conducted a lively correspondence with well-known Swiss theologians and was also in contact with many foreign scholars. In March 1744 he told Johann Ludwig Frey that he felt his end was near, and soon afterwards he suffered a hemorrhage . On April 11th, 1744 he died at the age of 39 and on April 14th the funeral service took place in the Leonhardskirche Basel . He was buried in the grave that was intended for Johann Ludwig Frey. Samuel Grynaeus had an epitaph made for his brother , which still hangs in the Katharinenkapelle of the Leonhardskirche today. The text of this funerary inscription can also be found at the end of the funeral sermon.

Grynaeus drew up his will on February 29, 1744, in which he bequeathed all of his household effects to Johann Ludwig Frey. In addition, he gave Frey his entire library and half of his house and canceled his debt of 5,000 pounds; the interest on this money was paid for by a theologian after the "Frey-Grynaean Institute" was founded.

Fonts

Literature and Sources

  • Andreas Urs Sommer (Ed.): In the field of tension between God and the world. Studies on the past and present of the Frey-Grynaeisches Institut in Basel 1747–1997 . Basel 1997, pp. 51-61 and 342f. (Lit.).
  • Ernst Staehelin : Johann Ludwig Frey, Johannes Grynaeus and the Frey-Grynaeische Institut in Basel. For the bicentenary of the institute. Friedrich Reinhardt printing house, Basel 1947.
  • Grynaeus, Johannes. In: Bernd Moeller , Bruno Jahn (Hrsg.): German Biographical Encyclopedia of Theology and the Churches (DBETh). de Gruyter, Berlin 2005, p. 545.
  • Basel University Library, Basel Academic Catalog (Johannes Grynaeus).
  • Basel University Library, KiAr GX 61, No. 8 (funeral sermon for Johannes Grynaeus).
  • Basel State Archives, University Archives F1 1670-1770 (Rectors of the University of Basel).
  • Basel State Archives, University Archives XII 8.1 and 8.2 (will of Johannes Grynaeus).

Web links

References and comments

  1. ^ Toussaint mixed up the inscriptions on the portraits of Johannes Grynäus and Johann Ludwig Frey (= University Library Basel, Portr BS Frey JL 1682, 1 ), cf. Rudolf Riggenbach : The portraits of the donors of the Frey-Grynaeisches Institute. (Voluntary Basel monument preservation 1938). Basel 1939, pp. 19-30.
  2. ↑ Website of the Frey-Grynaeisches Institut ( Memento of the original from December 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on December 6, 2016) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / freygrynaeum.unibas.ch
  3. ↑ Website of the Frey-Grynaeisches Institut ( Memento of the original from December 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on December 13, 2016) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / freygrynaeum.unibas.ch
  4. ^ Carl Roth: Family tables of some extinct Basel scholar families. In: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde , Vol. 16 (1917) (accessed on December 2, 2016)
  5. ^ Stroux page on the family of Johannes Grynaeus (accessed December 31, 2016)
  6. ↑ Basel University Library: KiAr GX 61, No. 8 . S. 51 .
  7. ↑ Basel University Library: Basler Rektoratsmatrikel, Volume III (= Basel University Library, AN II 4a ), fol. 189r .
  8. ^ Ernst Staehelin: Johann Ludwig Frey, Johannes Grynaeus and the Frey-Grynaeische Institut in Basel. For the bicentenary of the institute . Buchdruckerei Friedrich Reinhardt AG, Basel 1947, p. 103 .
  9. ↑ Basel University Library: Basler Rektoratsmatrikel, Volume III (= Basel University Library, AN II 4a ), fol. 150v .
  10. ↑ Basel University Library: KiAr GX 61, No. 8 . S. 53 .
  11. ↑ Basel University Library: KiAr GX 61, No. 8 . S. 54 .
  12. ↑ Staehelin, p. 107.
  13. ^ Website of the Frey-Grynaeisches Institut (accessed December 6, 2016)
  14. ↑ Bernd Moeller, Bruno Jahn (Ed.): German Biographical Encyclopedia of Theology and the Churches (DBETh) . de Gruyter, Berlin 2005, p. 545 .
  15. ↑ Martin Sallmann: Protestant Orthodoxy. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland . October 2, 2014 , accessed July 1, 2019 .
  16. ↑ Staehelin, p. 114.
  17. ↑ State Archives Basel: University Archives F1 1670–1770, pag. 106 .
  18. ↑ Basel University Library: KiAr GX 61, no.8, p. 75.
  19. ↑ Basel University Library: KiAr GX 61, No. 8 . S. 52, 56 .
  20. ↑ Basel University Library: KiAr GX 61, No. 8 . S. 56-57 .
  21. ↑ Staehelin, p. 115.
  22. ↑ Basel University Library: KiAr GX 61, No. 8 . S. 1 .
  23. ↑ Staehelin, p. 115.
  24. ↑ Basel University Library: KiAr GX 61, No. 8 . S. 80 .
  25. ^ Staehelin, p. 117.
  26. ^ Website of the Frey-Grynaeisches Institut (accessed December 10, 2016)
  27. ↑ Eberhard Vischer: The chairs and teaching at the theological faculty of Basel, Festschrift to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the University of Basel (pp. 111–242) . Helbing and Lichtenhahn, Basel 1910, p. 179 .
  28. ^ State Archives Basel: University Archives XII 8.2 .
personal data
SURNAME Grynaeus, Johannes
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gryner, Johannes; Grynaeus, Johann
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss Protestant theologian
DATE OF BIRTH June 8, 1705
PLACE OF BIRTH Laufelfingen
DATE OF DEATH April 11, 1744
Place of death Basel