Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer

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Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
Born(1635-07-11)11 July 1635
Naumburg (Saale)
Died8 September 1699(1699-09-08) (aged 64)
Occupations
  • Jurist
  • Poet
  • Satirist
  • Hymn writer

Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer (11 July 1635 – 8 September 1699) was a German jurist, poet, satirist and Protestant hymn writer. He worked as an advocate at the court of

Schemelli Gesangbuch
in a setting attributed to Bach.

Career

Sacer was born in

Landesschule Pforta. From 1654 he studied at the University of Jena law and literature. In 1657 he accepted a position as Hofmeister in Berlin where he had contact to poets such as Paul Gerhardt, Georg Philipp Harsdörffer and Andreas Tscherning. Johann Rist made him a member of the literary association Elbschwanenorden[1]
under the name Hierophilo.

The Schloss in Wolfenbüttel, residence of the court

From 1669 he worked as an advocate at the court of

Kiel.[1] His last post was Fürstlicher Kammerkonsulent (Ducal chamber counselor).[1] He died in Wolfenbüttel and is buried in the Marienkirche, Wolfenbüttel
.

Work

Among Sacer's publications are:

Sacer's satirical writings, namely Reime dich, oder ich fresse dich, criticism of the work of his colleagues in poetry, are still read and often quoted.

"Gott fähret auf gen Himmel"

"Gott fähret auf gen Himmel"
Ascension
Textby Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
LanguageGerman
Melody"Von Gott will ich nicht lassen"
Published1714 (1714)

Sacer's hymn for

Ascension in seven stanzas, "Gott fähret auf gen Himmel" (God goes up to Heaven)[2] was published in Geistliche, liebliche Lieder (Spiritual, lovely songs) in Gotha in 1714, sung to the melody "Von Gott will ich nicht lassen".[3][4] Later versions appear under the title "Der Herr fährt auf gen Himmel", for example the "Evangelisches Gesangbuch zum kirchlichen Gebrauche" (Protestant hymnal for church usage) of 1836,[5] sometimes with six stanzas.[6] Johann Sebastian Bach used the hymn's seventh stanza, "Wenn soll es doch geschehen", to conclude his Ascension Oratorio.[7][8] Among Bach's hymn writers, Sacer was the only contemporary.[9]

Literature

References

External links