Fischart, Johann

Fischart, Johann (called also Mentzer, from his native place, Mayence), a Lutheran hymn- writer, was born about 1547. He studied law, and for some time practiced it at Frankfort-on-the-Main. From there he went to Strasburg and died in 1589. Many of his hymns are found in the hymn-books of the 16th and 17th centuries. A copy of his Gesangbichlein, published in 1576, has been found in the British Museum at London, by professor Max Muller, and from a copy made by him, with the assistance of Herr von Bunsen, an edition was published at Berlin in 1849. See Godecke, Grundniss der deutschen Dichtung (Hanover, 1849), 1:386-398; Vilmar, Zur Literatur Fischarts (Marburg, 1846); Weller, Neue Originalp oesien Joh. Fischarts (Halle, 1859); Gervinus, Geschichte der poetischen Nationalliteratur der Deutschen, 3d ed. 3, page 131; Kurz, Geschichte der deutschen Literatu;, 4th ed. 4, page 26; Koch, Geschichte des deutschen Kirchenliedes, 2:279 sq., 487 sq. (B.P.)