Matthias Knutzen (businessman)

Matthias Knutzen , also Knudsen (* 1495/96 in Husum ; † February 14, 1559 in Kiel ) was a German merchant and councilor who promoted the Reformation in Husum .

Life

Matthias Knutzen was a son of Hans Knutzen. His mother's name is not recorded. His brother was probably Johann Knutzen . About the first years of his life it is only known that he spent them in Husum. Since he mastered the Latin language, he probably attended a high school. Perhaps he is identical to Matthias Knutzen, who matriculated at the University of Rostock in 1508 .

Knutzen can be found for the first time in documents from 1520. He worked as a merchant with an unknown business purpose and most likely traded with entrepreneurs in the Baltic Sea area, since his business partner Hinrich Gruman was imprisoned on Gotland in 1523 .

Knutzen was one of the first supporters of the Reformation in the Duchy of Schleswig . According to the inscription on his epitaph in the Nikolaikirche in Kiel , which no longer exists today, he risked his life and fortune for this. He owned a property in Husum with a back building in which he built a prayer room. The reformer Hermann Tast spoke here in front of a large audience. 1527 Knutzen is mentioned by name as a representative of the Lutheran-oriented citizens of his borough in negotiations with the clergy of St. Mary's Church . He worked to ensure that Tast could remain as chief pastor. After the conclusion of a contract in 1527, Knutzen worked as a church jury from 1528 to 1531. Together with Tast he founded a Latin school . In 1533/34 he is mentioned as head of the inn (hospital) for the Knight St. Jürgen.

King Christian III Subordinated Knutzen, clearly due to his services to the Reformation, the direct jurisdiction of the regional court, whereby he was treated like a noble. Probably because of his second marriage, Knutzen moved to Kiel around 1535. He acquired Kiel citizenship and bought several properties here. From 1539 until documented 1557, but probably until the end of his life, he was councilor there. From Kiel, Knutzen continued to maintain contacts with Husum. He helped the widow of the Reformation preacher Theodoricus Pistorius (Dietrich Becker) and gave gifts to schools in Husum and Kiel. According to his epitaph, he promoted pastors and students and protected the needy, widows and orphans.

family

A son Johannes came from an illegitimate relationship and died in Wittenberg in 1532 as a theology student .

Knutzen's first marriage was the widow of the dyer (Splenter) Hans Knutzen, who died after 1532. This marriage probably had three children, Paul, Lorenz, who died as a councilor in Kiel in 1572, and Jakob.

Knutzen married Ursula Schröder (* 1515/16; † December 1569) around 1535. Her father Jacob Schröder, who died in 1537, was a councilor in Kiel. With this woman he had the following daughters, among others:

• The daughter Magdalena married the secretary of Duke Adolf and Kiel mayor Georg C involved.
• The daughter Margarete married Johannes Carnarius (1527–1562), who was Duke August's personal physician.

literature

• Dieter Lohmeier: Knutzen, Matthias . In: Biographical Lexicon for Schleswig-Holstein and Lübeck . Volume 10. Wachholtz Verlag, Neumünster 1994, pp. 212-213.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Entry in the Rostock matriculation portal