Johannes Stomius

Johannes Stomius , b. as Johannes Mühling (Muhling) (* 1502 in Perlesreut ; † January 14, 1562 in Salzburg ) was a musician, pedagogue, humanist, Latin poet and schoolboy with special knowledge of Latin, Greek and music studies.

Johannes Stomius (Greek version) or Mulinus (Latin version) was born as Johannes Mühling (Muhling) in Perlesreut near Passau. Little is known about his education and origin due to a lack of sources. We know some details from his life from his epitaph , the text of which was published as early as 1732 in the book "De Religionis Evangelicae in Provincia Salisburgensi ortu progressu et fatis commentatio Historico (sic) ecclesiastica" by Johann Georg Schelhorn (1694–1773). Accordingly, Stomius was an important advocate ("ludimoderator") of humanism in Salzburg. Schelhorn gives the "Prosographia virorum illustrorum" by Heinrich Pantaleon (1522–1595) from 1565, a biography of famous men, as a source . Pantaleon also writes that he knew Stomius' widow. In the cemetery of St. Peter is his epitaph, which he probably wrote himself. There we read that he taught children for many years.

In 1529, Stomius established a so-called poet school as a new higher educational institution in Salzburg in addition to the Petersschule and the cathedral school. Subjects of instruction were u. a. the study and imitation of Roman classics as well as the learning of Latin verses and their writing. This poetry school, which Stomius headed until his death, was very well received by the nobility and patriciate and was also attended by foreign students. This Latin school, characterized by humanism, found an interested sponsor in the Salzburg Prince Archbishop Cardinal Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg (1468–1540). Under Johann Jakob von Kuen-Belasy (1515–1586), however, it was banned at a Salzburg synod in 1569, as its one-sided direction, which was accessible to the Reformation , had aroused the displeasure of the church.

We know little about Stomius' musical education. In Salzburg he was close friends with the composer and organist Paul Hofhaimer , who also dedicated his Latin odes to texts by Horace to him. Stomius wrote vocal works as well as a music theory work (1537) and brought out Hofhaimer's "Harmoniae poeticae".

literature

• August Scharnagl: Johannes Stomius . In: The music in history and, present , Volume 12, Kassel – Basel – London – New York 1965, Sp. 1404–1405.
• Hermann Spies: History of the cathedral school in Salzburg . In: Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Salzburger Landeskunde 78 (1938), pp. 1–88