Martin Behm
German theologian and writer
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The basics
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| Intro | German theologian and writer | |
| Places | Germany | |
| was | Religious scholar Theologian Writer | |
| Work field | Literature Religion | |
| Gender |
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| Birth | 16 September 1557, Lubań | |
| Death | 5 February 1622Lubań (aged 64 years) | |
| Star sign | Virgo |
The details
Biography
Martin Behm (1557–1622) was a German hymnwriter.
Born in Lauban (now Lubań in Poland), Behm was deacon and later chief pastor of the town's Holy Trinity Church. He wrote approximately 480 hymns, including "Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht" (used by J.S. Bach in his cantata Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 58) and "O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht" (used by Bach for his cantata of the same name). Carl Schalk wrote that Behm was among the poets at the end of the early Lutheran hymnody period who "produced in a truly popular vein an appreciable number of excellent hymns characterized by objectivity and childlike naivete".