Franck, Johann

Author

b Guben, Brandenburg 1618, d Guben 1677. After his lawyer father died, the infant Johann was cared for and adopted by a relative. His schooling was partly in Guben, followed by study at the Univ of Königsberg. He returned to his home town after graduation to care for his mother, since Guben was vulnerable to violence by raiding soldiers during the Thirty Years’ War. In 1645 he began work as a lawyer and eventually became the town’s burgomaster. In 1671 he was elected as the Deputy for Guben to the Landtag of Lower Lusitania. Like his contemporary Paul Gerhardt (qv) he wrote much popular verse and some 110 hymns, mainly of personal devotion, expressing a longing for Christ and a relationship with him. These were collected into one vol and published in 1674. 2 centuries later, his main translator into English was Catherine Winkworth. No.730.