Johann Eberlin von Günzburg
Encyclopedia
Johann Eberlin von Günzburg (b. c. 1470 in Kleinkötz
near Günzburg
in Bavaria
; d. 1533 in Lautershausen) was a German
theologian who became prominent as the author of reformist
flysheets and pamphlets.
and qualified in 1490 in Basle as Master of Arts
. In Heilbronn
he joined the Franciscan Order. From 1493 he was in Freiburg im Breisgau, from 1519 in Tübingen
, where he was active as a preacher, and from 1521 in Ulm
. Here he left the order and joined the Reformation movement.
He studied in 1522 with Martin Luther
and Philipp Melanchthon
in Wittenberg
and from 1523 worked in Basle and Rheinfelden
. In 1524 he became a preacher in Erfurt
and in 1525, spiritual adviser to Count Georg II von Wertheim. Here was created his translation of the Germania
of Tacitus
, the oldest German
translation of the work. After the death of Georg II in 1530, Eberlin became curate of Lautershausen, where he died three years later.
Kleinkötz
Kleinkötz is a village near Günzburg in Bavaria in Germany, the site of a post World War II American sector displaced person camp . It is the birthplace of Johann Eberlin von Günzburg....
near Günzburg
Günzburg
Günzburg is a Große Kreisstadt and capital of the district of Günzburg in Swabia, Bavaria. This district was constituted in 1972 by combining the city of Günzburg—which had not previously been assigned to a Kreis —with the district of Günzburg and the district of Krumbach.Günzburg lies...
in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
; d. 1533 in Lautershausen) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
theologian who became prominent as the author of reformist
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
flysheets and pamphlets.
Life
Eberlin studied theology in IngolstadtIngolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
and qualified in 1490 in Basle as Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
. In Heilbronn
Heilbronn
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
he joined the Franciscan Order. From 1493 he was in Freiburg im Breisgau, from 1519 in Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
, where he was active as a preacher, and from 1521 in Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
. Here he left the order and joined the Reformation movement.
He studied in 1522 with Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...
in Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
and from 1523 worked in Basle and Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden
Rheinfelden is a municipality in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, seat of the district of Rheinfelden. It is located 15 kilometres east of Basel. The name means the fields of the Rhine, as the town is located on the Hochrhein. It is home to Feldschlösschen, the most popular beer in...
. In 1524 he became a preacher in Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
and in 1525, spiritual adviser to Count Georg II von Wertheim. Here was created his translation of the Germania
Germania
Germania was the Greek and Roman geographical term for the geographical regions inhabited by mainly by peoples considered to be Germani. It was most often used to refer especially to the east of the Rhine and north of the Danube...
of Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, the oldest German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
translation of the work. After the death of Georg II in 1530, Eberlin became curate of Lautershausen, where he died three years later.
Works
- 15 Bundsgenossen, 1521
- Wider die Schänder der Kreaturen Gottes durch Weihen oder Segnen, 1521
- Der 7 frommen, aber trostlosen Pfaffen Klage, 1521
- Mich wundert, daß kein Geld im Land ist, 1524
- Wie sich ein Diener Gottes Worts in allem seinem Tun halten soll, und sonderlich gegen die, denen das Evangelium zuvor nicht gepredigt ist, daß sie sich nicht ärgem, 1525
- Eine getreue Warnung an die Christen in der Burgauischen Mark, sich auch füro zu hüten vor Aufruhr und falschen Predigern, 1525