Karl Josef Friedrich

Karl Josef Friedrich (born June 17, 1888 in Dresden ; † July 17, 1965 in Seifersdorf ) was a Protestant pastor and writer with a talent for drawing and music. He was pastor in Grünhain from 1915 to 1927 and pastor of Seifersdorf and Schönborn near Radeberg from 1927 until his retirement in 1959 .

life and work

Karl Josef Friedrich was born in Dresden-Neustadt during the three emperor's year and attended the 4th Citizens' School there since 1894  and the Royal High School since 1898 . From 1901 to 1908 he went to the Princely School of St. Afra in Meissen , where he graduated from high school. With the death of his father in August 1907 he came to believe. From 1908 he studied theology in Marburg (with Wilhelm Herrmann and Martin Rade ), Tübingen and Leipzig (among others with Caspar René Gregory, whom he valued so much ).

From May 17 to 19, 1910 he attended the Evangelical Social Congress in Chemnitz and in August of the same year the World Congress for Free Christianity . On July 29, 1911 he finished his university studies with the university exam and became a tutor in Essen . At Christmas 1911 he discovered the manuscript for a novel by Agnes Günther , whom he had met while studying in Marburg.

In 1912 he made visits to Schloss Neubeuert / Inn (January – March) and Rainer Maria Rilke in Munich (March); in the same year he went on a boat trip on the Danube (August) and edited the manuscript " The Holy and Her Fool " by Agnes Günther (September / October). This was followed by a visit to Bauerbach near Marburg (November / December), and Friedrich wrote his first novel “The Godship of Chosrams”.

In 1913 he visited Paris (January – March) and in May undertook the legendary barrel trip from Dresden to Meißen on the Elbe ; in May the saint and her fool appeared. On June 15, 1913, he was ordained a pastor in Rabenstein and passed his second theological exam in October.

He had been vicar in Technitz since September 1, 1914 , wrote the magazine “God in War” and had to experience that his vegetarian friend, Friedrich Jaskowski, was killed in the First World War in December 1914 . In March 1915 he traveled to some contemporary "friends of God" (including Rudolph Sohm , Johannes Schlaf , Wilhelm Herrmann , Wilhelm Steinhausen , Hans Thoma , Gusto Gräser , Christoph Schrempf , Karl Caspar and Arthur Bonus ) and in April was his first pastor in Grünhain briefed.

In 1916 Friedrich got engaged and married Elfriede Hecker from Leipzig on July 17th . A year later, the daughter Christliebe was born. Since 1918 he wrote essays for the " Vegetarian waiting " and since 1919 for the parish newspaper "Jesus im Grünen Hain". Friedrich had been living without meat since 1913, and since 1919 also free of alcohol and nicotine. In 1921 and 1924 the sons Gotthold and Reinherz were born. His wife Elfriede, to whom he dedicated a memorial booklet “The Pastor's Wife of Grünhain”, died in 1924. Deeply affected and yet comforted, he began his consolation office for accidents on October 11, 1926 , which subsequently sent over 70,000 consolation books (mostly free of charge). Two years later he designed the Church Week in Grünhain , and in 1927 the Salvation Week and the Grünhain Love Supper .

Friedrich was friends with the entrepreneur Friedrich Emil Krauss and was in contact with the Chemnitz artist group , to which Georg Gelbke belonged; he and the painter and graphic artist Ernst Müller-Grafe portrayed him in 1915 and 1922 respectively; Erich Ockert drew it in 1937 and 1940, Otto Dix in 1952, Werner Juza in 1964. At times, astronomy was one of his areas of interest . He founded the “Berg- und Krippenverein Grünhain” and headed the “Lecture exchange Volksmission Schwarzenberg ”. He was an admirer of Hans Luther , Ludwig Richter and Hans Thoma .

In August 1927 he was assigned to the dual pastoral offices in Seifersdorf and Schönborn near Radeberg, and in 1928 he founded the parish journal “Sunshine” (from February). On his 40th birthday, he got engaged again and three months later married the pastor's daughter Edelgard Ploth. In 1931, 1932, 1934, 1941 and 1946 the children Gottlinde, Heiltraut, Glaubrecht, Traugott and Liebgard were born. During the Second World War , their sons Gotthold (22 years old) and Reinherz (19 years old) died in 1943, their daughter Gottlinde died in 1952 at the age of 21.

During the time of National Socialism , a number of Friedrich's writings were banned, including the consolation booklet and the books “Women as Heroes” and “Stories about God”.

The 71-year-old retired in August 1959 and suffered a stroke two years later . He died on July 17, 1965 at the age of 77 in the rectory in Seifersdorf and was buried four days later in the village cemetery.

editor

• Agnes Günther , The Holy and Her Fool , Verlag JF Steinkopf , Stuttgart 1913; 144th edition 2011, ISBN 978-3-7984-0813-5
• God in war. A gift for the war Christmas party in 1914. Brought to the parish of Technitz by his sons in the field , prepared by Vicar Karl Josef Friedrich, typesetting and printing by Kurt Hohlfeld, Limmritz i. Sat. 1914
• Secrets of the National Disasters. By Friedrich Jaskowski †. Pleased on December 6th, 1914 at Praßnysz (new edition of the “Sicilian Secrets”). With the picture of the author , printing and publishing house of Konkordia, Bühl / Baden 1915
• The Book of Friends of God . German voices of the present on God and religion , Verlag Friedrich Andreas Perthes, Gotha 1917
• The Hans Thoma book. Gift of friend for the master's 80th birthday prepared by Karl Josef Friedrich . Published by EA Seemann in Leipzig in 1919
• Johannes Seyfferdt: Parish Sonnenhof. From the work of a master pastor , Verlag Adina Köhler, Sehma im Erzgebirge 1922
• German star joy. A harvest of flowers, star lust and wisdom. With 44 pictures by well-known artists , Max Müller Verlag, Chemnitz 1925
• Jump in the sun! The living Luther . 100 Luther words to Chancellor Dr. Luther , Max Müller Verlag, Chemnitz 1926
• Sankt Lukas Erzgebirge. The Gospel of Luke translated into the Erzgebirge by Fritz Körner , Verlag Max Müller, Chemnitz 1928
• The paintings of Ludwig Richter , German Association for Art History, Berlin 1937
• Ludwig Richter wanders into the Giant Mountains. Two newly discovered Richter's diaries from 1838 and 1865 , Wolfgang Jess Verlag, Dresden 1938
• Your faithful father. Letters from Ludwig Richter to his son Heinrich from four decades . Verlag Koehler & Amelang, Leipzig 1953, 2nd edition 1955

Own works

• The Holy. Memories of Agnes Günther , the poet of “ The Holy and Her Fool ”, Verlag Friedrich Andreas Perthes, Gotha 1915
• God's year calendar. To the dear Technitz parish members, farewell, typesetting and printing by Kurt Hohlfeld, Limmritz i. Sat. 1915
• Booklet of the happy marriage. About his secret and his art. With many pictures by Ludwig Richter, published by Georg Wigand, Leipzig 1916
• The pious death. On the spiritual power to transform death into goodness and riches. With many pictures by Ludwig Richter, published by Georg Wigand, Leipzig 1916
• The Song of the Sun of St. Francis of Assisi. Renewed and provided with (9) woodcuts, Greifenverlag, Hartenstein / Sa. 1916
• Professor Gregory , American, Christian, friend of the people, German hero. With pictures and using Gregory's field diaries, Verlag Friedrich Andreas Perthes, Gotha 1917 (2nd edition: People's friend Gregory, Americans, Boy Scouts, Urchrist, German fighters. With pictures by Ernst Müller-Gräfe and using Gregory's field diaries, Leopold Klotz Verlag , Leipzig 1918; second, increased edition with an attachment: Gregory's hike through the desert, described by himself in letters, Leopold Klotz Verlag, Leipzig 1920; 3rd revised edition, Leopold Klotz Verlag, Leipzig 1938)
• The Empress's poor sister and other stories of God's friend, Furche-Verlag, Berlin 1919
• Fifty love stories, C. Ludwig Unartikel, Dresden and Leipzig 1928
• From children of God. Half a hundred stories about the succession, Max Helmert Verlag, Schwarzenberg 1920
• Depths of the big city. With 10 pen drawings by the author, Volkswacht-Verlag, Hamburg 1922
• My star sponsor or star lore for children and other dear people, Verlag Max Müller, Chemnitz, 20. – 25. Thousand 1923
• Hans Thoma . Introduced by Karl Josef Friedrich. Sapientia Thomana, Max Müller Verlag, Chemnitz 1924
• The holy sorrow. Accidents and belief in God, Furche-Verlag, Berlin 1926
• Consolation in accidents, Verlag des Evangelischen Trostbundes, Berlin 1926, 2nd edition (6th – 20th thousand) 1932 (online at pkgodzik.de)
• Maid and queen. The life of the pastor's wife Elfriede Friedrich, Gustav Schloeßmanns Verlagbuchhandlung, Leipzig and Hamburg 1929
• The blue heart. Fifty more love stories, C. Ludwig Unartikel Verlag, Dresden and Leipzig 1930
• Guide through the famous Seifersdorfer valley . With a map on art paper (drawn by Friedrich Hermel), Verlag Gebr. Hordler GmbH, Radeberg 1930 (reprint 1994: Kupfergraben Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Berlin, ISBN 3-89181-210-8 ; revised reprint 2007: Stapp Verlag Berlin, ISBN 978- 3-87776-452-7 )
• Love your church! Evangelical Press Association for Germany, Berlin-Steglitz 1930
• Advent Calendar. A nativity scene to be cut out and set up by Marigard Bantzer , with (24) stories by Karl Josef Friedrich, Verlag Max Müller, Chemnitz 1931
• Sonnenhof parish. Stories about an Altar, Gustav Schloeßmanns Verlagbuchhandlung, Leipzig 1931
• Elisa, the blessing. A story under the Christmas tree, published by Johs. Kiefel, Wuppertal-Barmen 1931 (Third edition: A heart full of Christmas. From the life of Mrs. Elisa von der Recke , Johs. Kiefel, Wuppertal-Barmen 1934)
• The Birthday Association, published by Johs. Kiefel, Wuppertal-Barmen 1932
• The Howe Rectory or The Fiery Thorn Bush. Folk tale, Max Müller Verlag, Leipzig 1933
• The night watchman of God. A Strange Fate, Verlag C. Ludwig Unartikel, Dresden and Leipzig 1934
• In Bethlehem's stable. A Christmas greeting. With 11 illustrations, Gustav Schloeßmanns Verlagbuchhandlung (Gustav Fick), Leipzig and Hamburg 1934
• A Christmas miracle, Oskar Günther-Verlag, Dresden 1935
• Stories about god. Twenty stories, Max Müller Verlag, Chemnitz 1935
• Sunny childhood. Educational thoughts about toddlers and school children, Verlag von Johs. Kiefel, Wuppertal-Barmen 1935 (together with Edelgard Friedrich)
• Women as heroes. A woman's praise, Oskar Günther Verlag, Dresden 1936
• A good defense and weapon. From Prayer to God, publishing house of the Evangelical Press Association for Germany, Berlin-Steglitz 1937
• Diary of a happy woman. Roman, Verlag C. Ludwig Unartikel, Dresden 1939
• Lovable artists around Ludwig Richter, Gustav Schloeßmanns Verlagbuchhandlung, Leipzig and Hamburg 1940
• Julius Thaeter , the engraver of great German artists. Edited from Thaeter's estate, Gustav Schloeßmann's Verlagbuchhandlung, Leipzig and Hamburg 1942
• Letters to my fallen son, Evangelische Verlagsanstalt GmbH, Berlin 1946
• Ludwig Richter our house friend, Evangelische Verlagsanstalt GmbH, Berlin, 3rd edition 1949
• Disciples of love. Six pastors of our time, Evangelische Verlagsanstalt GmbH, Berlin, 2nd edition 1950
• The householder. 66 stories from his treasure, Christian Zeitschriftenverlag, Berlin 1950
• The Dresden Carnival. An experience report, Verlag Ernst Kaufmann, Lahr 1955 (1957: Die Stadt vor der Nacht, Ev. Versandbuchhandlung O. Ekelmann , Berlin, 3rd edition 1990; reprint 2004 (unabridged and complete, drawings by Thilo Hänsel): Notschriften-Verlag Radebeul, ISBN 3-933753-49-X )
• Ludwig Richter and his group of students, Koehler & Amelang, Leipzig 1956
• Christian witnesses, Evangelische Verlagsanstalt GmbH, Berlin 1963
• My colorful life - memories of a Saxon poet pastor, Notschriften-Verlag, Radebeul 2003 (posthumous), ISBN 3-933753-34-1

Unprinted manuscripts

• The deity of Chosram. 1913
• Thanks to Rudolf Schiestl on his 50th birthday. 1928
• Ludwig Richter's piety. 1946
• Christian women of our time. 1951
• Live poison free, live happily. 1952
• Only faithful, only blessed. 1953
• Artists we loved and collected. 1956
• Artist anecdotes. 1958-59
• Käthe Kollwitz , a look into her heart. 1961

Web links

• Literature by and about Karl Josef Friedrich in the catalog of the German National Library
• Ernst Müller-Gräfe, portrait of Karl Josef Friedrich, 1922.

literature

• To the glory of God. The writings of the pastor poet Karl Josef Friedrich. Compiled for his 50th birthday by Edelgard Friedrich geb. Plot . In connection with the publishers Oskar Günther-Dresden, Leopold Klotz-Leipzig, Max Müller-Chemnitz, Gustav Schloeßmann-Leipzig, published by C. Ludwig Unartikel-Dresden 1938.
• Karl Josef Friedrich, My colorful life - memories of a Saxon poet pastor , NOTschriften-Verlag, Radebeul 2003 (posthumously).
• Rolf Böttcher , Günter Hummel, Karl Josef Friedrich and Grünhain as well as the work of Ernst Müller-Gräfe. Altenburg / Langenweißbach 2008. ISBN 978-3-937517-89-6

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The Royal High School in Dresden-Neustadt was founded in 1874 as a state high school for boys and was directly subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and Public Education. After the school building was destroyed in 1945, the grammar school was not reopened. (online at archiv.sachsen.de)
2. ↑ Edelgard Friedrich: “The father, originally a porcelain painter , immigrated from German Bohemia , by profession a merchant : a Protestant -minded Catholic; the pious mother, coming from Altenburg : most faithful churchgoer. "(To the honor of God, p. 3)
3. ↑ Karl Josef Friedrich: “Through God's guidance, the hardest and most terrible day of my youth became the most important day of my life, because through this death I came to believe. Death drove me to God. Now I can say thankfully: I am redeemed through Jesus Christ, also from death. "(My colorful life, p. 44)
4. ↑ Karl Josef Friedrich: "I am still grateful to you, you thankful for life, we are united for time and eternity. Now and then, not too often, there may be such friendships where a young man is spiritually attached to a much older, noble woman, without any sensuality. The young person listens to her, serves her, is devoted to her, he lies at her feet and looks at her who is sitting on the throne. ”(My colorful life, p. 52 f.)
5. ↑ In the circle of poets that Baroness Wendelstadt gathered around her in Neubeuert am Inn, Karl Josef Friedrich met Hofmannsthal , Heymel and Rainer Maria Rilke as well as Rudolf Alexander Schröder . (My colorful life, p. 82)
6. ↑ Deutschlandradio Kultur from May 31, 2011: The Stuttgart antiquarian Frieder Weitbrecht, grandson of the then publisher Friedrich Weitbrecht at the Steinkopf publishing house , opened the handwritten book - on the first page the words "with God" are emblazoned - and he takes from it the development of the circulation: “We see 3,200 copies here in April 1913, 3,300 in September and 3,300 in December. So in the first year already 10,000. That's pretty quick. In February 1914 there were 6,600, and in June 10,000, in September 1914 alone 20,000 and in December another 20,000. How expensive was the book? 4 Mark 50. 1921, in November, another 10,300, 1923 6,600 and so it goes on. And to date, I think there are 1.7 million copies on the market. Of the 1.7 million, perhaps 1.65 million were sold before 1960. After that it subsided a lot. The publisher is now still selling the edition that was printed in 2001. " (online at dradio.de)
7. ^ Friedrich Jaskowski, Philosophy of Vegetarianism. A philosophical foundation and a philosophical consideration of vegetarianism and its problems in nature, ethics, religion and art , Berlin 1912 (online at NorbertMoch.de)
8. ↑ Karl Josef Friedrich: “At that time there was a traveling apostle in Stuttgart, Gusto Gräser , a reformer in all areas, who, half-naked in Greek clothing, traveled through the country with his wife and children, wrote poetry, printed his poems beautifully, sold and made a living from it . He was in trouble with the school authorities who wanted to force his children into school. At that time I was able to explain this strange, lovely person to the mayor a little and get him to be lenient. "(My colorful life, p. 155)
9. ↑ Karl Josef Friedrich, My colorful life, p. 149 ff.
10. ↑ Godfather for Christliebe including Hans Thoma
11. ^ Godfather for Reinherz and others Albert Schweitzer
12. ↑ His son Joachim Müller-Gräfe became Friedrich's first godchild on April 21, 1919. Five more sponsored children followed in the next few years: Fromund Aé (May 12, 1921), Dieter Friedrich (November 9, 1926), Friedrich Märkel (June 14, 1927), Christoph Müller (May 27, 1928), Christine Hermel ( October 15, 1933), Gudrun Hartenstein (August 14, 1938), Maria Ostermann (January 29, 1939) and Albrecht Mosig (April 7, 1942). A list of his six sponsored children hung framed in Friedrich's study for years.
13. ↑ Ernst Müller-Gräfe: Portrait of Karl Josef Friedrich 1922 (online at pkgodzik.de)
14. ↑ Godfathers for Gottlinde were Matthäus Schiestl and Hans Luther .
15. ↑ godmother for healing Traut among others Esther von Kirchbach
16. ↑ inspiration for Liebgard among others Karl Kindt
17. ↑ Karl Josef Friedrich: “The Nazis banned my consolation booklet, even three times. The first time they claimed that the word office was protected. I called my service a consolation office. So I reworked the magazine. Then they were angry because I sent the booklet to those who died. It is called a consolation booklet in the event of accidents, the Nazis said that the hero's death was a great deal of luck, but not a misfortune. And they confiscated ten thousand pieces from me. And for the third time they forbade the booklet because I had written in it that suicide often happens because there is too little faith in the heart; now all Germans are believers , namely in the Fuehrer ... So the booklet had to disappear, of course only because it was Christian. I was forbidden even more: 'women as heroes' because I brought in Old Testament female figures, heroines of the people of Israel. And then my 'stories about God' were banned because there was a story in it about a man who was born with only one arm and one foot. According to the Nazis, he should have been killed as a cripple. But he was not killed at the time. He later became a highly respected district court director with one foot and one arm! And finally they forbade me to write at all. ”(Dresdner Fastnacht, 2004, p. 72 ff.)
18. ↑ Karl Josef Friedrich: “In a sixteen-page booklet 'Jump into the Sun', I collected an extract of 100 such Luther words, which I sent to Chancellor Dr. Hans Luther had sent, under the headings: The Father, Defiance of the Devil, Christ, Faith, The Mystery of God, Praying, Praising, Christian Living, Eternity - Words of great authority, deep wisdom, strong consolation. "(My colorful life, P. 323)
19. ↑ Karl Josef Friedrich: “The 3rd edition has a strange history. It was 1938, during the Nazi era . Leopold Klotz implored me that I would like to 'nazify' the book, e.g. B. omit all friendly passages about the Jews. That is what I did and had to do with a sigh and with a guilty conscience. "(My colorful life, p. 110)
20. ↑ Ludwig Finckh judges this book: “I have been looking for such a star book for children for a long time. I am happy that I found it. It expresses what you feel as a child under the starry sky and what no adult can tell you. "(Blurb)
21. ↑ The Christian household friend (today the Neukirchen calendar ) of November 19, 1932: Consolation in the event of accidents is the name of a little booklet that Pastor Friedrich wrote after his wife passed away. He writes: “I was also hit hard by an accident. I am experienced in suffering and can feel warmly for you: suddenly and quickly I lost my beloved wife, the mother of three small children. The children's lives seemed destroyed, my happiness broken. I suffered everything that you are now suffering from, soul, and that's why I can understand you. I cannot bring you back your unharmed happiness, but I can help you to organize your thoughts and make your suffering fruitful, because after the first bitter pain you will have heavy thoughts: What is the point of this suffering that I experienced? Can a God of love as we believe him allow this terrible thing? Doesn't a merciless event rule over us poor people that crushes us, an insane coincidence that crushes us? ”- After Pastor Friedrich himself had been comforted, he would like to tell others about this consolation. (Calendar sheet from November 19, 1932)
22. ↑ Edelgard Friedrich, February 1985: “The book was written from November 10, 1949 to February 2, 1950. Under the original title 'Die Dresdner Fastnacht' it was published in abbreviated form by Ernst Kaufmann in Lahr in 1955. After a long search, the author found the free church Verlag O. Ekelmann , who brought it out revised in 1957. The author regarded the editing by Mr. Ekelmann as a serious offense ('A drop of vinegar is more noticeable to the tongue than a barrel of honey!'). That's why he called it 'a painful book'. He thought it was his best work. The title 'The city before the night' comes from Mr. Ekelmann. "(Dresdner Fastnacht, 2004, p. 203)