Theodor Förster (theologian)

Portrait of Franz Theodor Förster from the Marktkirche in Halle

The grave in Halle's city ​​church

Franz Theodor Förster (born January 28, 1839 in Lützen , † August 27, 1898 in Halle (Saale) ) was a German Protestant theologian and superintendent . From 1894 he was professor of theology at the theological faculty in Halle and author of numerous publications.

Life

Theodor Förster was born the son of a pastor. His younger brother Bernhard Förster later married Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche , Friedrich Nietzsche's sister . The youngest brother Paul Förster became a high school professor and animal welfare activist. Both were anti-Semitic publicists and politicians.

Theodor attended schools in Lützen, Delitzsch and Langenweddingen . In 1853 he went to the Latina of the Francke Foundations in Halle and received his school-leaving certificate there in 1858 . He studied theology at the Universities of Halle and Berlin . In 1862 he passed the first theological exam, in 1863 he passed the second theological exam in Magdeburg . In 1865 he did his doctorate at the University of Halle with the dissertation De Dionysio Alexandrino and received the licentiate .

In 1866 Förster went to Berlin and took up a position as a cathedral assistant preacher. In 1867 he was appointed inspector of the Cathedral Candidate Foundation in Berlin and in 1869 archdeacon in Stolberg (Harz) . In 1872 he was given a pastor's post in Großjena and at the same time was appointed superintendent of the diocese of Naumburg. In 1877 he came to Halle as a deacon. In 1880, after the death of Hermann Ludwig Dryander , Förster became senior pastor at the Marktkirche Our Dear Women and Superintendent of the Diocese of Halle. In addition, he took over the office of district school inspector and thus led the supervision of the school system in his ephoria . The catechetical-religious upbringing of children was a particular concern of his. Under his leadership as superintendent and chairman of the church building association in Halle, he made great contributions to the new construction of St. Stephen's Church and St. John's Church . Förster supported the establishment of St. Paul as the third parish. He was also a member of the Provincial Synod and, as a member and secretary of the Prussian General Synod, was responsible for printing the minutes.

In terms of theology and ecclesiastical politics, he belonged to the Evangelical Association , the Middle Party, and was a co-founder or even a leading member of the Evangelical Union and the Gustav Adolf Association . As in Berlin, Förster initially worked as a private lecturer at the theological faculty in Halle . In 1889 he qualified as a professor at the University of Halle for the subject of church and dogma history. The University of Halle had given him an honorary doctorate with his work on Ambrosius of Milan . In 1894 Förster was appointed associate professor . Until his death, he mainly taught in the field of religious education . In 1896 he published the Old Testament story for Sunday schools. , 1897 was one of the co-editors of the religious book for Protestant schools.

In 1898 he had to undergo an operation because of cancer, but this could only delay the course of the disease. Theodor Förster died on August 27, 1898 at the age of 59 in Halle. His grave is on Halle's Stadtgottesacker Inner Field II.

Works

• August Hermann Francke - a life picture from the Protestant Church in Germany. Strien, Halle 1898
• Chrysostom. 1896
• Luther's Wartburg year 1521–1522. Association for the History of the Reformation, Halle 1895
• You should seek my face. New sermons on the Lord's Prayer. 1895
• The holy skirt of Trier in 1844 and 1891 - a historical look back. Strien, Halle 1891
• On the theology of Hilary. 1888
• Evangelical sermons - a gift for the church. Strien, Halle 1887
• Depiction of the life and work of Bishop Ambrose of Milan. Strien, Halle 1884
• The evangelical Salzburgers and their expulsion 1731–1732. Niemeyer, Halle 1884
• The current situation of German Old Catholicism. Justus Perthes, Gotha 1879
• Three archbishops 1000 years ago. C. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 1874
• A papal election a hundred years ago. Wiegandt & Grieben, Berlin 1869
• Chrysostom in his relation to the Antiochene school. Justus Perthes, Gotha 1869

literature

• Christian Stephan: The silent faculty - Biographical contributions to the history of the theological faculty of the University of Halle. Janos Stekovics, Dößel 2005, ISBN 3-89923-103-1 , pp. 13-15.

Web links

• Entry on Theodor Förster in the Catalogus Professorum Halensis
• Theodor Förster in the German biography
• Works by and about Theodor Förster  in the German Digital Library
• Entry on Theodor Förster in Kalliope
• Writings by Theodor Förster in the Index theologicus

predecessor	Office	successor
Hermann Ludwig Dryander	Senior pastor at the Marktkirche Our Dear Women 1880–1898	Paul Martin Theodor Schmidt