Kaspar Hedio

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Casper Hedio, copper engraving, 16th century.

Kaspar Hedio (also Caspar Hedio, Kaspar Heyd, Kaspar Bock, Kaspar Böckel; * 1494 in Ettlingen , † October 17, 1552 in Strasbourg an der Pest) was a German historian , Reformed theologian and reformer .

Life

Growing up as the son of wealthy parents, he attended the famous Latin school in Pforzheim , where numerous, later famous men of the Reformation were his schoolmates. He began his studies in Freiburg im Breisgau in 1513 , where he received his master's degree under the rectorate of Matthäus Zell . He turned to the study of theology and continued to do so in Basel in 1518 , where he obtained his doctorate in 1519 with a disputation under Wolfgang Capito on the attributes of God and the predestination for licentiate in theology. At the same time he was already in touch with Ulrich Zwingli , for whom he was enthusiastic, and wrote to Martin Luther on June 23, 1520 in the same way .

After he had been a short time in Basel Kaplan, he stepped on Capito's recommendation in Electoral Mainz services, including as a preacher . His effectiveness here could only be short-lived, since he had already decided in favor of the Reformation movement and made no secret of his convictions. In Mainz Hedio had obtained a doctorate in theology, but soon he applied for the position of preacher at the Strasbourg Cathedral , which he took over in November 1523. The 30-year-old preacher underlined his evangelical convictions by marrying the patrician daughter Margarete Trenz (1524), which the cathedral chapter did not object to.

In Strasbourg he worked from the beginning in association with Capito and Martin Bucer . He participated in the dispute with the old church and in October 1524 published his "Rejection uf Cunrats Tregers Büchlin". In the history of the Reformation in Strasbourg, he takes the most respected position next to Zell and the two leading reformers Capito and Bucer. Theologically, however, it was less in the foreground. He was only involved in the disputations and later in the lectures. On the other hand, he emerged as an organizer and made great contributions to the education system.

He was present at the Marburg Religious Discussion without making any particular appearances. The itinerary he wrote is of great interest. In Strasbourg he took a strong part in the socio-political endeavors during these years. He wrote a treatise on the tithe, translated the text of the humanistic social reformer Vives "De subventione pauperum" and practically took a great part in caring for the poor. As a preacher, he was greatly praised and loved by contemporaries. Some of his sermons have also appeared in print.

Outwardly, he worked far beyond the borders of Strasbourg. In Upper Alsace, in the margraviate of Baden and in the Palatinate, he was constantly active in an advisory capacity as a reformer. He sent his sovereign, Count Palatine Ottheinrich, many reports and some advice. For example, he recommended that he found a library that should also be open to the people. When Philipp Melanchthon was invited to France , Hedio of Strasbourg was chosen to accompany him. In the following years he took on foreign missions in several cases. He went to the Worms Religious Discussion as a Strasbourg representative , to Regensburg in 1541 and to Dornstadt in 1551 . In preparation for the Cologne Reformation, he was seconded to Bonn alongside Bucer and was given leave for a long time.

Hedio was very interested in history. He translated numerous tracts of the church fathers, published a chronicle of the old Christian church according to Euseb and Sozomenos and finally compiled a world chronicle that was read and observed by many. So he had made a respected name for himself in the early days of Protestant historiography. After the Augsburg Interim (1548) he refused any concession in order not to cause a nuisance to his parishioners. He therefore renounced the position of preacher at the cathedral and contented himself with the modest office of early preacher in the former Dominican church. As the last survivor of the generation of the founders of the Strasbourg church, he took over the leadership of the church convention after Bucer's departure, but had to experience many contradictions in his mediating theological attitude.

Works

  • Rejection by Cunrats Tregers Büchlin 1524
  • Chronica of the old Christian churches except Eusebio, Rufino, Sozomeno…, 1530, digitized edition of the Bavarian State Library ;
  • Outline (Synopsis) of the Gesch. v. 1504-1508, 2 volumes, 1538;
  • » Chronicon Abbatis Urspergensis correctum et paralipomena et addita usque ad a. (1230–1537) «An exquisite chronicle v. Beginning of the world from the Latin of Abbot v. Ursperg, 1539;
  • “Chronica, that is: Complete descriptions of the old Christian churches from the time that the Historia Ecclesiastica Tripartita ends: that is, from the jarzal, four hundred AD, to f jar 1545.” by Eusebius Caesariensis Digitized edition of the university - and State Library Düsseldorf
  • trans. some tracts v. Augustine, Ambrosius and Chrysostomus and others the historical works of Eusebius, Hegesippus, etc. Sabellicus,
  • " Cuspiniani Caesares " the story of the Roman emperors v. Cuspinian, the life of the Popes v. Platina and others
  • translated earlier world chronicles into German, provided them with notes and she continued until his time.
  • Chronicon germanicum (3 parts)
  • Flavii Josephi Des highly famous histori writer of all books. Namely, twenty of the old stories of the Jews. Syben from the jewish war and destruction of Jerusalem. Zwey against Appionem Grammaticum, from the ancient origins of the Jews. One of the Meysters creates the reason and the Martyrdom of Machabe. Item Description of life Flavii Josephi did not go out in Teutscher Spraach before. Everything Germanized by D. Caspar Hedion. Strasbourg 1556, digitized edition of the Bavarian State Library .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Anton Schmid: The beginnings of the cathedral predicatures in the German-speaking dioceses. In: Roman quarterly for Christian antiquity and church history 89 (1994), issue 1–2, pp. 78–110, here p. 100.
personal data
SURNAME Hedio, Kaspar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hedio, Caspar; Heyd, Kaspar; Bock, Kaspar; Böckel, Kaspar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Historian, reformed theologian and reformer
DATE OF BIRTH 1494
PLACE OF BIRTH Ettlingen
DATE OF DEATH October 17, 1552
Place of death Strasbourg