Menso Alting

Menso Alting

Menso Alting (born November 9, 1541 in Eelde, south of the city of Groningen , † October 7, 1612 in Emden , East Frisia ) was an important preacher and theologian of the Reformation .

Life

Menso Alting studied in Cologne theology . In 1565 he converted from Catholicism to the Reformed Church and continued his theological studies in Heidelberg . After completing his studies, he worked as a preacher in Helpen and Sleen ( Holland ), but had to flee the Netherlands in July 1567 as a result of the Spanish Counter-Reformation under Duke Alba . He found a new field of work in Leiselheim near Worms , in Dirmstein near Frankenthal in the Palatinate and in Heidelberg. In October 1575 he came to Emden as the successor to Albert Ritzaeus Hardenberg , where he was head of the presbytery and president of the Coetus of the Reformed preachers of East Frisia until 1612 .

Alting had a major influence on the implementation of Calvinism in Emden. To ward off the Counter-Reformation, he sought a Protestant union in the spirit of militant Calvinism. This in turn involved him in the clashes between the Netherlands and Spain, as well as the East Frisian estates with the absolutist tendencies of the Lutheran Counts Edzard II and Enno III. from East Frisia. Alting co-founded the special position of the city of Emden in the state structure of the county.

Menso Alting was friends with Ubbo Emmius . He exchanged letters with him almost every day. Ubbo Emmius wrote his friend's biography soon after his friend's death.

His son, Basilius Alting , learned pharmacy from him.

Quote

Peter Friedrich Reershemius writes in his work "East Frisian Preacher Monument" about Menso Altling:

“ He was a fiery, enterprising, gifted man and was very much respected in the country. He was especially held in high regard in Emden, and he had the hearts of his community in his hand . "

literature

• Klaas-Dieter Voss, Wolfgang Jahn (ed.): Menso Alting and his time. Religious dispute - freedom - civic pride (= publications of the Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum Emden, issue 35). Oldenburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-89995-918-5 . (Accompanying volume to the exhibition of the same name in the Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum Emden and the Johannes a Lasco Library Emden: October 7, 2012 - March 31, 2013).
• Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz :  Alting, Menso. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 1, Bautz, Hamm 1975. 2nd, unchanged edition Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-013-1 , Sp. 132-133.
• Ubbo Emmius: Menso Altings Life. Translated from Latin by Erich von Reeken. Emden 1982, DNB 850934052 .
• Hermann Klugkist Hesse: Menso Alting. A figure from the fighting times of the Calvinist Church. Furche-Verlag, Berlin 1928, OCLC 11946503 .
• Alberdingk Thijm, Wilhelm Gaß:  Alting, Menso (Reformed theologian) . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1875, p. 368 f.
• Jan Weerda:  Alting, Menso. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1953, ISBN 3-428-00182-6 , p. 225 ( digitized version ).