Kaspar Bienemann (Hymn-Writer)

Born: January 3, 1540 - Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany
Died: September 12, 1591 - Altenburg, Germany

The Lutheran theologian and hymn writer, Kaspar Bienemann (Melissander = ‘bee man’), son of a burgess of Nürnberg, studied in Leipzig, Jena and Tübingen. He was sent by the Emperor Maximilian II as an interpreter with an embassy to Greece. There he assumed the name Melissander, by which he is sometimes known.

After his return Bieneman was appointed as a professor in Lauingen (Danube), Bavaria, then abbott in Bahr and General Superintendent of Pfalz-Neuburg. However in the synergistic controversy there he was forced to resign. In 1571 he received his D.D. from the University of Jena. The same year Duke Johann William appointed him to his court at Weimar as a tutor to the Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Sachsen-Weimar. After the death of the Duke in 1573, Prince August of Saxonia became regent and with the ascendancy of the Calvinist party at court Bienemann was expelled as a follower of Matthias Flacius with many other Lutheran preachers. From 1578 he served as a minister and General Superintendent in Altenburg.

The best known of his 11 hymns is ‘Herr, wie du willst, so schick's mit mii im Leben ind im Sterben’ (Lord, deal with me as you will in living and in dying).

Source: BBKL Website (March 2001), English Translation by Aryeh Oron & Francis Browne; BCL Website [Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal]
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2003, August 2003), Francis Browne (January 2006)

Texts of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

BWV 73, BWV 156

Chorale Texts used in Bach’s Vocal Works

Title

Year

EKG

Zahn

Herr, wie du willst, so schick's mit mir

1582

285

4438

Links to other Sites

BIENEMANN (gräzisiert: Melissander), Kaspar (BBKL) [German]

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary Handbook - Biographies and Sources (BCL)

Bibliography