John of Watteville
John Baron von Watteville (* 18th October 1718 in Walschleben ; † 11. October 1788 in Gnadenfrei in Silesia ) was a German Protestant clergyman , bishop and missionary of the Moravian Church , whose highest representatives after the death of Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf , he was . He is also known as a hymn poet .
Life
Born as Johann Michael Langguth, he was the son of the preacher Johann Michael Langguth and his wife Anna Elizabeth Langguth.
During his theology studies in Jena he met Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. From this he was elected in 1739 as preacher of the Brethren in Marienborn . In the following years he worked for the Brethren in Herrnhut and was involved in the founding of other Brethren in Silesia . From 1742 he was Coepiscopus Zinzendorfs.
In 1745 he was adopted by Friedrich von Wattenwyl , which gave him the title of Freiherr or Baron von Watteville . On May 20, 1746 he married Benigna Justine Zinzendorf , the daughter of Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf.
In 1747 he was ordained a bishop. In the following years, the couple traveled as missionaries to England , North America , the Canary Islands and Greenland, among other places .
After returning to Herrnhut , he moved to Gnadenfrei in Silesia, where he died on October 7, 1788.
Christingle
At a service in Marienborn on December 20, 1747, Bishop Johannes von Watteville gave every child in his church a candle wrapped in a red ribbon with the prayer "Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in this dear children's heart". This gave rise to the tradition of the Christingle to illustrate the love of Jesus.
Works
- Hymns for the Moravian hymn book
literature
- Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Ritter: Life of Baron Johannes von Watteville, bishop of the Evangelical Brethren Church and his wife, Mrs. Henriette Benigna Justine, Baroness of Watteville, bored Countess of Zinzendorf Altona 1800. Digitized
- Hermann Arthur Lier : Watteville, Johannes Baron von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 41, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1896, pp. 255-257.
Web links
- Works by and about Johannes von Watteville in the German Digital Library
- John von Watteville Papers - Collection of letters and sermons at Lehigh University Library Collection
- List of composed hymns at hymntime.com
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Hermann Arthur Lier : Watteville, Johannes Baron von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 41, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1896, pp. 255-257.
- ↑ Johannes von Watteville Papers . Moravian Church Archives. 1784-1787. Retrieved December 12, 2074.
- ^ Emil Blösch : Wattenwyl, Friedrich von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 41, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1896, p. 248 f.
- ↑ Watteville . Pierer's Universal Lexicon, Volume 18. Altenburg. 1864. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
- ^ Moravian Customs . The Moravian Church British Province.
- ^ John Julian : A Dictionary of Hymnology: Setting Forth the Origin and History of Christian Hymns of All Ages and Nations. J. Murray, London 1907, ISBN 978-0-486-22287-5 , second edition p. 769 ( English version online ).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Watteville, Johannes von |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Watteville, Johannes Baron von; Langguth, Johannes Michael (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German Protestant bishop and missionary |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 18, 1718 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Walschleben , Thuringia |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 11, 1788 |
| Place of death | No mercy , Silesia , today Ober Peilau |