Ludmilla Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

Ludmilla Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

Ludmilla Elisabeth von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (also Ludomilla or Ludämilie ) (* April 7, 1640 , † March 12, 1672 in Rudolstadt ) was a Countess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and German hymn poet .

Life

Ludmilla Elisabeth was a daughter of Ludwig Günther von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and his wife Countess Emilie von Oldenburg . Her father died in 1646 and so she was raised in a strictly Protestant manner by her mother.

Encouraged by her sister-in-law Aemilie Juliane , the scientifically and artistically gifted Ludmilla tried her hand at writing hymns at Friedensburg Castle early on . Ahasverus Fritsch , who later became the chancellor of her brother Albrecht Anton , also had a major influence on them .

After her mother's death in 1670, Ludmilla lived with her three sisters in Rudolstadt, their brother's residence. A year later, Ludmilla was engaged to Christian Wilhelm , who would later become Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. But in 1672 Ludmilla Elisabeth died with two of her sisters in a measles epidemic .

Her hymns were published as early as 1687 under the title The Voice of the Friend, i.e. Spiritual Songs, which were made out of ardent and bitterly persistent love for Jesus, and used Weiland die Hochgebohrne Countess and Miss Ludämilia Elisabeth, Countess and Miss zu Schwartzburg and Hohenstein's Christ-blessed Andenckens in Rudolstadt . Some of her songs, including Jesus, Jesus, nothing but Jesus , Schaff in mir, God, a pure heart and sorrow, Father, sorrow you , were represented in German hymn books well into the 20th century . The latter is still in Swedish translation in the Swedish hymn book from 1986 (No. 554).

literature

• Bernhard Anemüller :  Ludämilie Elisabeth, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 19, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1884, pp. 365-367.

Web links

• Entry on www.hymnary.org .