Luthern Hymn Writers (texts)

Writers of Lutheran hymn texts listed by country of origin and historical periods:

German Lutheran Hymnody

Early Reformation: 1500-1546

Martin Luther (1483-1546); also see Martin Luther
Johann Walther (1496-1570)
Nicholaus Herman (c. 1480-1561)
Elisabeth Creutziger - the first Protestant woman hymn writer (c. 1536)

Period of Lutheran Orthodoxy 1546-1617

Johann Lindemann (1549-1631)
Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608)

Thirty Years War Period 1618-1648

Johann Heermann (1585-1647)
Martin Rinkart (1586-1649)
Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676)
Georg Neumark (1621-1681)
Matthaus von Lowenstern (1594-1648)
Johann Franck (1618-1677)
Johannes Olearius (1611-1684)

Pietism: period from the end of the Thirty Years War(1648) to about 1750

Joachim Neander (1650-1680)
Johann A. Freylinghausen (1610-1739)
Gerhard Tersteegen (1697-1769)

Non-pietistic Lutheran hymn writers from about 1700-1800

Erdmann Neumeister (1671-1756)
Benjamin Schmolck (1672-1737)
Matthias Claudius (1740-1815)

Period of Romanticism from about 1800-1900

Karl Johann Philipp Spitta (1801-1859)
Jonathan Friedrich Bahnmaier (1774-1841)

Modern Luthern hymn writers from about 1900-present

Dieter Trautwein (b. 1928)
Rolf Schweizer (b. 1936)
Heinz Werner Zimmerman (b. 1930)
Deitrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)
Martin Franzmann (1907-1976)
Gracia Grindall

Scandanavian Lutheran Hymnody

American Lutheran Hymnody


Home
Check out the 100 Hymn Tunes You Should Know

© 2001 Smith Creek Music
Comments, questions, or suggestions? Email us.

Site last updated: January 17, 2004