The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-03-10
PAUL GERHARDT, HYMNIST
His Three Hundredth Anniversary
Celebrated in Germany.
born in saXonyy the Hymns He
Wrote Made His Name Known
Throughout the FatherIand.

The Booth anniversary OF the birth OF
Paul Gerhardt is 20 be celebrated this
month throughout Germany and ia
many places where Christian hymns are
sung. Luther is name better known.
but the hymns that ne wrote DO not
approach in number those OF Gerhardt.
and his fame rests more on what he
did TO arouse the church from its leth-
argy than the music. both hymn and
tune. which he gave Paul Gerhardt
has been styled the prince Of German
hymn writer's" and the hold that his
hymns have had on the people from his
time 10 this justides the title. One hun
dred and twenty-three were collected
from his manuscripts and published
after his death by his son. and many
OF these may be found in the collections
now in use I'm The various churches in
every Christian country. New interest
has been shown IN his work on the
approach OF this anniversary. and much
study has been devoted to find every
fact possible concerning the events Of
his life.
ters around Lubben, where he spent the
last seven years Of his life. for here his
BODY lies. beneath the altar Of the
church where he preached. and I'm front
Of that church there is now beirg erect
Cd a monument. surmounted by statue
OF the man holding in one hand a book
of hymns. and with the other pointing
10 a disabled cannon a relic of the war
just over. His lifetime comprehended
the period Of the Thirty Years war. and
near by IS the Soldiers Monument, a
memorial to the victims Of that war.
lie was born March IL, 1907, In an OBJ
scure town In Sax0uy. He attended high
school al Grimma and college at Wit
tenberg. In l6s2 he left Wittenberg.
prepared for his life work, but he could
find no place to preach on account OF
the Thirty Years war which was then
raging throughout Germany. For three
years he served as tutor in the family
of d lawyer named BerthOld. where he
also made love TO one Of the daughters.
Gerhardt had begun 10 write hymns
early in life. but he was TOO poor 20
have them published. His first church
was at %ittcnwalde. near Berlin. Now
he began 20 put forth his hymns, and
by this means his name was made
known over Germany. After he had
been settled here he thought he could
afford to take unto himself a wife. and
so he was married to Anna Berthoid IN
1865. For SIX years he remained at
MIttenwalde. and then he was called to
Berlin to serve as third assistant deacon
i'm the church of ST. Nicholas, the oldest
i'm the city. This is a most interesting
building. erected in the twelfth cen
fury, Of brown granite. Twice since
then it has been repaired and improved.
and from its location. near the post
Office and town hall. it is a prominent
object 10 the tourist. Here Paul Ger
hardt spent nine years in earnest
Christian work His departure from
Berlin was not Of his own seeking. but
he was deprived OF his church by the
Great Elector. Frederick William I. be-
cause he would not subscribe TO any
pledge which would restrict his freedom
Of speech. in May. 1863. he became
archdeacon over the church at LUbben,
and here he labOred until his death on
June Z. 1916. sad years these were. for
his wife and four Of his children had
died, and he was left with a single son
TO lavish his affections upon.
He was a man of great tenderness,
and much charity was dispensed from
his door Many a person in need of
shelter found il beneath his roof. An
incident following his expulsion from
Berlin gave rise TO one of his most popu-
lar hymns. Driven from home and not
knowing which way to turn. he and his
sorrowinE wife rested at an inn. Leav-
ing his wife alone. he went out under
the stars OF heaven and found comfort
in these words.
Commit thou all thy criefs
And ways into His hands
To His sure trust and tender care
Who earth and heaven commands
Give TO The winds tay fears,
Hope and be undismayod,
Cod hears thy sighs and counts thy tears;
G0d shall lift up thy head.
Other hymns Of his begin:
Extended on tn accused tree,
Oh. sacred Head now wounded.
Here I can firmly rest.
The German Lutherans of this city
use his hymns in the original German.
TRANSACTIONS are found in the coI!ec-
tions of nearly every Protestant church.
An extended service has been prepared
for use in the Lutheran churches, and
many other churches will use his hymns
on March 10 in honor OF the 300th ami
vcrsary of his birth The monument in
Lubben viii not be completed in time TO
be dedicated in March. but by the first
Of July Paul Gerhardt will stand in
stone in front of the church in which