Matthäus Beskau

Matthäus Beskau (* around 1480 in Torgau ; † February 8, 1533 in Wittenberg ) was a German Catholic theologian and legal scholar.

Life

Beskau studied outside of Saxony , where he obtained the degree of a baccalaureus in the fine arts. In 1502 he went to the University of Wittenberg , in July 1503 obtained the academic degree of a master's degree and was accepted into the philosophical faculty. 1507 takes over the professorship of the Via Thomae, where he treated the commentaries on the writings of Aristotle .

Beskau switched to law studies, was admitted to the Faculty of Law as a bachelor's degree in law in 1508, obtained a licentiate in law on May 10, 1509 and obtained a doctorate in both rights in 1514 . Since his wife had died on April 27, 1509, he entered the priesthood, was elected to the university senate on April 11, 1514 and was thus a canon and scholaster at the Wittenberg Castle Church . He was supposed to read about the Liber Sextus, and since his lectures often coincided with those of Philipp Melanchthon , he lacked an audience. Therefore, he had to put up with omissions in his lectures. In 1521 Beskau took over the university's treasury.

Beskau, who was arrested in the scholasticism , made sure that Martin Luther's efforts at the Wittenberg Castle Church did not initially prevail. It was only after he had administered the Lord's Supper under a figure on November 1, 1524 that he became vulnerable. Now the council and the community turned against the reformation hostile canons of the Wittenberg castle church. They were given the alternative of putting an end to their abuses, they were threatened with breaking off all relationships with the Wittenberg population in daily trade and change and were so afraid that they would eventually introduce reforms to the apartment by throwing stones into the window of the Beskau apartment Castle Church agreed.

From New Year's Day 1525 Beskau held the high mass in German and took part in the redesigned choral service in the following months. He continued to live in Wittenberg and suddenly died here in the first few days of February 1533. Over the course of time, Beskau had transformed into a representative of the Reformation, which is reflected in his will, among other things, in the grounds for a substantial study grant.

literature

• Nicolaus Müller: The Wittenberg Movement 1521 and 1522. The events in and around Wittenberg during Luther's stay in the Wartburg. Letters, files and similar personal details. Leipzig 2nd edition 1911.
• Walter Friedensburg : History of the University of Wittenberg, Verlag Max Niemeyer Halle (Saale) 1917
• Heinz Scheible: Melanchthon's correspondence people 11
• By Doctor Matthäus Beskaus, from Torgau, foundation for a poor student at the University of Wittenberg In: Wittenbergsches Wochenblatt 1790, p. 313