Samuel Weishaupt

Samuel Weishaupt (born March 24, 1794 in Gais AR ; † January 12, 1874 in Knoxville , Tennessee ) was a Swiss pastor and choirmaster . He was one of the co-founders of the choir movement in Switzerland.

Life

Weishaupt studied theology at the University of Basel from 1811 to 1813 and then worked for many years as a pastor in Wald and Gais. In 1832 he took over the chairmanship of a new church hymn book and was a member of various school commissions until 1853, including a school inspector.

From 1810, Weishaupt gave courses for singers and singing teachers. He spread the folk singing teachings of Hans Georg Nägeli and Michael Traugott Pfeiffer in eastern Switzerland. In 1819, on the occasion of the Reformation anniversary, he founded a mixed choir in Wald and in the winter of 1823/24 initiated the founding of the nation's first cantonal choral association, which he presided over until 1836 and with which he organized the world's first singing festival in 1825 .

In 1853 he followed some of his children who had already emigrated to the United States . After a failed settlement in Fair Garden, where a battle of the Civil War took place in 1864 , Weishaupt moved to Knoxville and looked after the small Reformed parish there until his death.

literature

• Otto Hunziker:  Weishaupt, Samuel . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 41, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1896, p. 550.

Web links

• Obituary in the "Appenzell Calendar"
• Thomas Fuchs: Weishaupt, Samuel. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .