Elisabeth Cruciger

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The hymn Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn by Elisabeth Cruciger from Martin Luther's Erfurt Enchiridion, 1524

Elisabeth Cruciger (also spelled Kreuziger, Creutziger etc.; née von Meseritz) (c. 1500 – 2 May 1535), a German writer, was the first female poet and hymnwriter of the

Protestant Reformation[1] and a friend of Martin Luther
.

Life

Workshop of Lucas Cranach the younger: Christ blessing the Children, w. Caspar Cruciger in black, next to Elisabeth and second wife Apollonia Günterode in background[2][3]
Ruins of Marienbusch Abbey

Elisabeth von Meseritz was born into a noble family in

Premonstratensian cloister in Treptow an der Rega. At the cloisters, she learnt of the religious ideas of the Reformation through Johannes Bugenhagen, one of the influential figures in Lutheranism
.

In 1522 Elisabeth left the abbey to move to

Caspar Cruciger, a student and an assistant to Martin Luther. Together they had two children: a daughter, Elisabeth, who married Andreas Kegel, the rector of Luther's hometown Eisleben, and then—on Kegel's death—Luther's son Johannes; and a son, Caspar Cruciger the Younger, who succeeded in Philip Melanchthon
's post as professorship at Wittenburg.

Elisabeth Cruciger died in Wittenberg in 1535.[4][5]

Veneration

In 2022, Elisabeth Cruciger was officially added to the

Episcopal Church liturgical calendar with a feast day on 3 May.[6]

Works

Notes

  1. ^ Haemig 2001
  2. Schloss Gottorf
    , 2013
  3. ^ Ahuis 2017, pp. 258–261
  4. ^ Haas 1972
  5. ^ Schneider-Böklen 2001
  6. ^ "General Convention Virtual Binder". www.vbinder.net. Archived from the original on 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2022-07-22.

References

Further references

External links