Nikolaus Decius

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Former Franziskanerkloster, School of Nikolaus Decius in Hof

Nikolaus Decius (also Degius, Deeg, Tech a Curia, and Nickel von Hof;

Protestant reformer
and composer.

Biography

He was probably born in

Easter Day at Braunschweig on 5 April 1523.[7] Decius's Low German version first appeared in print in Gesang Buch by Joachim Sluter, printed in 1525.[7]

In 1526, Decius became preacher at the Church of St. Nicholas in

St. James's in Stettin.[2] In 1535 he became pastor of St. Nicholas and died there in March 1541 after a suspected poisoning.[2] Shortly before his death he wrote the hymn "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" (O Lamb of God, innocent) sung on a tune from the 13th century. Decius's version was first published in Anton Cornivus's Christliche Kirchen-Ordnung in 1542.[4] Johann Sebastian Bach used it as a cantus firmus in the opening chorus of his St Matthew Passion. It was translated into English by Arthur Tozer Russell in the 19th century.[4]

References

Sources