Gottfried Hoffmann

Short Name: Gottfried Hoffmann
Full Name: Hoffmann, Gottfried, 1658-1712
Birth Year: 1658
Death Year: 1712

Hoffmann, Gottfried, son of Caspar Hoffmann, brewer at Plagwitz, near Lowenberg, in Silesia, was born at Plagwitz, Dec. 5, 1658. After studying at the University of Leipzig (M.A. 1688), he was appointed in 1688 Corrector, and in 1695 Rector of the Gymnasium at Lauban. In 1708 be became Rector of the Gymnasium at Zittau, where he died after a stroke of paralysis, Oct. 1, 1712. (Koch, v. 437-442; Allg. Deutsche Biographie, xii. 591-592.) Of his hymns, about 60 in all, written mostly for his scholars, only one has passed into English, viz.:—
Zeuch hin, mein Kind. Death of a Child. According to Koch, v. 442, this beautiful hymn was written in 1693, on the death of his little daughter Magdalene Elisabethe, was printed in the same year in her funeral sermon on Job i. 21, and included by Hoffmann in his Laubansche Leichengesänge, 1704. It is in Schwedler's Lieder Mose, Budissin, 1720, No. 306, and repeated in the Berlin Geistliche Lieder, ed. 1863, in 6 stanzas of 9 lines. Translated as:—
Depart, my child . A good translation, omitting st. iv., by Miss Borthwick, in Hymns from the Land of Luther, 1st Ser., 1854, p. 25 (1884, p. 28). Repeated in Kennedy, 1863, omitting st. iii., and beginning "Farewell, my child." Other translations are: (1) "So, go, my child," by E. Massie, 1866, p, 139. (2) "Go hence, my child," by Dr. J. Guthrie, 1869, p. 109.
[Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology


Texts by Gottfried Hoffmann (12)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
Depart, my child, the Lord thy spirit callsG. Hoffmann (Author)English3
Fahr hin, mein Kind, Gott will dich habenGottfried Hoffmann (Author)German2
Geist vom Vater und vom Sohne, Gleicher Majestät und KraftG. Hoffmann (Author)German5
Geist vom Vater und vom Sohne Der du unser Tröster bistGottfried Hoffmann (Author)German8
Hilf, Jesu! dass ich meinen Nächsten liebeGottfried Hoffmann (Author)German8
Jesus nimmt die Sünder an, Saget doch dies Trostwort AllenGottfr. Hoffmann (Author)German2
O Gott, es steht dein milder SegenGottfried Hoffmann (Author)German10
O Seele, schaue Jesum anGottfried Hoffmann (Author)German23
Pomóż mi, JezuGottfried Hoffmann (Author)Polish2
So wird die Woche nun beschlossenGottfried Hoffmann (Author)German2
Zeuch hin, mein Kind! Gott selbst fordert dichGottfried Hoffmann (Author)German30
Zieh, liebes Kind, zieh hinGottfried Hoffmann (Author)German3
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