Robert Lejeune

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Robert Lejeune (born February 19, 1891 in Uster , † December 25, 1970 in Männedorf ) was a Swiss Protestant clergyman .

Life

Robert Lejeune came from a Huguenot family based in southern Germany . He was the son of Robert Lejeune (1848–1898) and his wife Emma von Ehrenberg (1861–1925). His father was a businessman and head of the spinning mill of his brother-in-law Friedrich August Bindschedler-Lejeune. His brother Erwin Lejeune, a doctor in Kölliken , was married to the politician Mathilde Lejeune-Jehle .

After finishing school, with the Abitur at the literary grammar school (today: Kantonsschule Rämibühl ) in Zurich in 1910, he matriculated at the University of Zurich , but then studied German language and literature for only one semester and then began studying theology with Leonhard Ragaz , which he, after he had studied at the University of Heidelberg for a few more semesters , graduated in Zurich in 1913.

After completing his studies and ordination , he first worked as a mountain pastor from 1913 to 1914 in Flerden , from 1914 to 1915 in Tenna and from 1915 to 1918 in Andeer . From 1918 to 1926 he was a pastor in the Arbon workers' congregation and then from 1926 to 1958 as a preacher in the Neumünster congregation in Zurich; from 1926 to 1963 he was also a member of the Zurich Church Synod .

He was also politically active and from 1955 to 1963 he was a Zurich SP Cantonal Councilor ; In 1963 he played a key role in the Zurich Church Law .

Robert Lejeune had been married to the painter Suzanne (1888–1984), daughter of the pharmacist Carl Hartwich († 1917), since 1913 ; together they had two sons and a daughter.

Writing and spiritual work

Robert Lejeune, impressed by his teacher Leonhard Ragaz, joined the religious-social movement that was founded in 1906 and located in the garden courtyard in Zurich. The information center for refugees was also located there during the Second World War ; a large number of peace organizations were also located there, including the Swiss Peace Council .

From 1916 to 1948 he worked on the magazine Neue Wegen, founded by Leonhard Ragaz ; from 1920 to 1924 as editor . Of the numerous essays that he published in this magazine, his writings On Law and Injustice in Materialistic Historiography and The Creativity in History from 1919, in which he particularly deals with Henri Bergson's Évolution créatrice (Eng . The creative development ) dealt with; a topic that he also wanted to use for his habilitation , but which then did not materialize because of Leonhard Ragaz's resignation from his professorship.

His most important achievement as a theologian was a four-volume selection of Johann Christoph Blumhardt's sermons and devotions , for which he received an honorary theological doctorate from the University of Basel in 1939 .

Robert Musil

During the Second World War, Lejeune took care of German and Austrian emigrants , some of whom he housed at home, including the sculptor Fritz Wotruba . It was through this that he met Robert Musil , who had fled Austria in 1938 , and whom he temporarily housed with him. He successfully campaigned for Musil's residence permit and ensured his material existence. With this he entered into a lively exchange of ideas, from which an intense friendship developed. While Robert Lejeune dealt with The Man Without Qualities , Robert Musil dealt with Blumhardt and Honoré Daumier , about whom Robert Lejeune was preparing a monograph . In 1941 Robert Musil informed him that he was beginning to be interested in lay theology.

The friendship with Robert Musil is due to his letters as well as the speech by Robert Lejeune, which he gave on April 17, 1942 at the grave of Robert Musil, as well as the one at the opening of the Robert Musil office at the Saarland University in November Memories presented in 1970 are evidence of this.

Art critical work

Robert Lejeune, who had a strong artistic sense, gave numerous lectures on subjects of the visual arts and put on an art collection with works by Marc Chagall , Honoré Daumier, Francisco de Goya , Georges Rouault and other painters. However, he also sold his works without hesitation when it came to helping.

Among other things, he supported the poet William Wolfensberger , with whom he had been close friends since his studies, and from whom he published selected works in 1964 .

Memberships

honors and awards

Fonts (selection)

  • About right and wrong in materialistic historiography . 1919.
  • The creative . 1919.
  • The importance of the Reformation . 1921.
  • Liberalism . 1922.
  • The expectation of the kingdom of God in particular relation to socialism . 1932-1933.
  • The message of the kingdom of God . Zurich 1933.
  • Christoph Blumhardt and his message . Erlenbach-Zurich; Leipzig: Rotapfel-Verl, 1938.
  • The religious-social movement . Einsiedeln: Benziger, 1940.
  • Complaint against press censorship . 1940.
  • Mountain rides in the Hinterrhein area . Bern, 1943.
  • Honoré Daumier . Zurich 1946.
  • Leonhard Ragaz; Paul Trautvetter; Robert Lejeune: Thoughts - from 40 years of intellectual struggle . Bern: H. Lang & Cie, 1951 (2nd edition)
  • Alberto Longoni; Robert Lejeune: Chronicle of a bass trumpet . Zurich: Gutenberg Book Guild, 1960.
  • Memories of a mountain pastor . Zurich 1961.
  • Leonhard Ragaz: 1868–1945 . Bischofberger & Co., 1968.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bindschedler: Ear-Bindschedler Susanne Julie. Retrieved March 7, 2020 .
  2. ↑ History / Successes. In: Swiss Peace Council SFR. Accessed March 7, 2020 (German).
  3. ↑ Dr Norbert Friedrich, Traugott Jähnichen: Social Protestantism in National Socialism: diaconal and Christian-social associations under the rule of National Socialism . LIT Verlag Münster, 2003, ISBN 978-3-8258-7039-3 ( google.de [accessed on March 8, 2020]).
  4. ^ Zurich, Pension Fortuna | NZZ. Retrieved March 8, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Ernst Burger: ROBERT MUSIL (1880-1942) the other, less well-known “man with many qualities”. Evangelisches Museum Österreich, accessed on March 8, 2020 .
  6. ↑ Oliver Pfohlmann: Robert Musil . Rowohlt E-Book, 2012, ISBN 978-3-644-45801-7 ( google.de [accessed March 8, 2020]).
  7. ↑ Horst Dieter Rauh: "Laien-Theologie". A figure of thought in Musil's diaries. Retrieved March 8, 2020 .
  8. ↑ MUSIL: Man without Qualities - DER SPIEGEL 20/1956. Retrieved March 8, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Franzisca Pilgram-Frühauf: "You can't say it": Tension areas of silence in the autobiographical, literary and theological work of William Wolfensberger (1889-1918) . Theologischer Verlag Zürich, 2008, ISBN 978-3-290-17489-7 ( google.de [accessed on March 8, 2020]).
personal data
SURNAME Lejeune, Robert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss Protestant clergyman
DATE OF BIRTH February 19, 1891
PLACE OF BIRTH Uster
DATE OF DEATH December 25, 1970
Place of death Männedorf