Caspar Friedrich Nachtenhöfer

Nachtenhöfer (Nachtenhoefer), Caspar Friedrich, son of Caspar Nachtenhöfer, advocate at Halle, was born at Halle, March 5, 1624. He entered the University of Leipzig in 1647, as a student of theology (M.A. 1651). He was then for a few months tutor in the house of the Chancellor August Carpzov at Coburg. In the end of 1651 he was appointed diaconus, and in 1655 pastor, at Meeder near Coburg. He was then, in 1671, called to Coburg as pastor of the Holy Cross Church, and diaconus of the St. Moritz Church. He afterwards devoted himself wholly to St. Moritz, and died as second senior in charge Nov. 23, 1685 (Wetzel ii. 203; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie xxiii. 192, &c) He published a metrical history of the Passion under the title of Erklärung des Leidens- und Sterbens-Geschichte Jesu Christi, at Coburg in 1685. Four hyms are ascribed to him, two of which have been tr. viz.:—

i. Diess ist die Nacht, da mir erschienen. Christmas. This is in J. H. Havecker's Kirchenecho, 1695, No. 406, in 5 st. of 6 1., marked as by M. C. F. N. It had previously appeared in the Coburg Gesang-Buch 1683 [Coburg Gymnasium Library], and is included in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851, No. 31. The translation in common use is:—
This is the night wherein appeared. A good and full tr. by A. T. Russell, as No. 58 in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851.

ii. So gehst du dann, mein Jesu, hin. Passiontide. This appears in the Neu -Vollständigers Marggräft. Brandenburgisches Gesang-Buch, Culmbach and Bayreuth, 1668, p. 81, in 4 st. of 8 1., entitled "A beautiful hymn for Lent." It is also in the Coburg Gesang-Buch, 1668, Appendix, p. 4, entitled "Christ's Death the sinner's Life." In both books it is without name of author. Wetzel ii. 206, ascribes it to Nachtenhöfer, and says it was written in 1651, while he was tutor at Coburg. It is a hymn on Christ's way to the Cross, and in the form of a dialogue between the soul and Christ. In order to complete the sense an additional stanza was inserted between the original iii. and iv., and this is the form in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851, No. 781. This new stanza, according to Wetzel ii. 210, is by Magnus Daniel Omeis, Professor at Altdorf (born at Nürnberg, Sept. 6, 1646; died at Altdorf Nov. 22, 1708), and was included in the Altdorf Gesang-Buch of 1699. The translation in common use is :—
So, Lord, Thou goest forth to die. A good translation of st. i., v. by A. T. Russell, as No. 92 in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)