Appendix 3 - Provisional List of Low Gennan Hymnals Printed Before Luther's Death (1546)

Abbreviations

a = Title.
b = Facts of publication.
c = Present location.
d = Presence or absence of music.
e = Listings in standard catalogs.
f = Additional bibliography.
[DKL] = Siglum in Jenny 1985, 139,44, for sources without music.

  1. a) Eyn gantz schone vnde seer nutte gesangk boek, tho dagelyker öuinge geystlyker gesenge vnde Psalmen
    b) Rostock: Ludwig Dietz, 1525.
    c) Rostock, Universitätsbibliothek (defective).
    d) No music.
    e) Borchling,Claussen 1931,36, no. 812; Benzing 1966, no. 3685; [DKL] Rst 1525; Jenny 1985, 140.
    f) Bachmann 1881, 21-37; Wiechmann 1864,85, 3:117-21 (no. 217); WA, 394-95 (Aa); Basinski 1971, 35-68; Basinski 1984, 15-23; Basinski 1986 (reprint edition), esp. 113-30; Ueltzen 1992.

    This book, the oldest surviving Low German hymnal, was discovered in the summer of 1877 by Johannes Bachmann, a theology professor at the University of Rostock. The unique copy is missing a single leaf (Kii) in the middle and two or more gatherings at the end. Judging by the 1526 reprint (no. 2), the material at the end probably included not only the hymn “Capitan her God vader myn” but also the order of worship for Vespers.
    Wiechmann believed that this hymnal was preceded by an even earlier Low Saxon edition, and a century later Basinski again raised the possibility that it was based on a Low German book with a si1nilar form, perhaps a translation of one of the 1524 Erfurt Enchiridia. Ameln takes a different view. He concurs with Bachmann that it is modeled on a High German book and argues that it likely was translated by Joachim Slüter whose native language was Low German.
    The book’s repertory was drawn from “the Walter Chorgesangbuch of 1524, hymnbooks published in Erfurt and Strassburg in 1525, and a number of hymns from the north German area." It played an important role in the spread of Ref or, mation hymnody northward into Scandinavia. For the Danish hymnal published by Ludwig Dietz in 1529 (a reprint of one that had appeared the previous year in Malmö) is a translation of the 1525 book.

  1. a) (E)Yn gantz schone vnde seer nutte ghesangk boek, tho dagelyker öuinge geystlyker gesenge vn̅ Psalmen
    b) Cologne: Peter Quentel, 1526.
    c) Lost since 1945. Formerly in Berlin, Deutsche Staatsbibliothek.
    d) Music.
    e) Borchling-Claussen 1931,36, no. 876; Benzing 1966, no. 3686; DKL Rst 1526; RISM 1526 06; Jenny 1985, 140.
    f) Wackernagel 1855, 89-90 (no. 233); Geffcken 1857, 208-12; Bachmann 1881, 21-22, 26-28; Wiechmann 1864-85, 3:119-20; WA, 395-96 (Bb).

    This hymnal is essentially a reprint of no. 1; it differs in minor details only. It is often referred to as the “Speratusbuch” because the printer incorrectly resolved as “J. Speratus” the initials “J. S.” ( = Joachim Slüter, the Rostock Reformer) that appear in the preface of its model.

  1. a)  [Title page of Part 1:] Geystlyke leder vppt nye gebetert tho Wittēberch, dorch D. Martin. Luther
         [Title page of Part 2:] Gheystlyker gesenge vnde leder…
    b) Rostock: Ludwig Dietz, 20 March 1531.
    c) Lüneburg, Stadtbibliothek.
    d) No music.
    e) Borchling-Claussen 1931-36, no. 1090; Benzing 1966, no. 3678; [DKL] Rst 1531; Jenny 1985, 141.
    f) Geffcken 1857, 212-22; Wiechmann-Kadow 1858 (reprint edition), esp. 19-36; Wiechmann 1864-85, 1: 145-53 (no. 74); W, 1:397-99 (no. 40); Bachmann 1881, 38-45; WA, 390-91 (Ff); Basinski 1971, 173-217; Basinski 1984, 24-38.

    This book was found in 1857 by Mr. Vogler, director of the Stadtbibliothek, Luneburg. It can be regarded, to some extent, as an expanded version of no. 1, since it contains all but two of the fifty-four songs in the earlier publication. The first part generally has been considered to be an unaltered translation of the lost Wittenberg hymnal printed in 1529 by Joseph Klug. “The second part was compiled from the hymnody of other areas; for example, of the sixty-four texts, sixteen originated from Strassburg, twenty-one from Nuremberg (including seventeen by Sachs), and a good proportion of the remainder stemmed from north Germany."
    All of the other Low German hymnals, except no. 5 (the Magdeburg Enchiridion) and 11, are based on this book. Geffcken therefore characterizes it as “the most important Low German hymnal." Bachmann notes that the numerous editions (he lists and describes no fewer than sixteen between 1534 and 1564) testify to its wide distribution: “For over a generation, Slüter’s book, nicknamed ‘dat dubbelde Sanckböklin’ [the little double hymnal] on account of its two parts, remained the hymnal for the Lutheran Church of Lower Saxony, or it provided the basis for the publication of other Low Saxon hymnals." Like no. 1, its influence extended far beyond North Germany: Leaver discovered that the first Protestant hymnal in England (London: Coverdale, c. 1535) apparently was based on it.

  1. a) Geystlike leder, vppet nye gebetert tho Wittemberch, dorch D. Martin. Luther…
    b) Magdeburg: Hans Walther, 1534.
    c) Wolfenbüttel, Herzog-August-Bibliothek.
    d) No music.
    e) Borchling,Claussen 1931-36, no. 1196; Benzing 1966, no. 3679; [DKL] MagdW; Jenny 1985, 141.
    f) Wackernagel 1855, 127-28 (no. 325); Geffcken 1857, 222-24; Wiechmann-Kadow 1858, 37; Wiechmann 1864-85, 1:199; Bachmann 1881, 46 (no. 1); WA, 391-92 (Gg).

    This is an expanded edition of no. 3; it contains four additional hymns, including “Frowt juw frowt juw in desser tidt,” one of the few in the Magdeburg Enchiridion that is not in the 1531 book.

  1. a) Enchiridion Geistliker leder vnde Psalmen, vppet nye gecorrigeret. Sampt der Vesper Complet, Metten vnde Missen.
    b) Magdeburg: Michael Lotter, 1536.
    c) Atlanta, Emory University, Pitts Theology Library.
    d) Music.
    e) Benzing 1966, no. 3680; DKL MagdL 1536; RISM 153602; Jenny 1985, 142.
    f) Volz 1962; Ameln 1964, 232.

  2. a) Geistlicke Leder vnd Psalmen, vpt nye gebetert. Martin Luther…
    b) Magdeburg, 1538.
    c) Lost.
    d) —.
    e) Borchling-Claussen 1931-36, no. 1286.
    f) Wackernagel 1855, 150 (no. 370); Wiechmann-Kadow 1858, 38; Wiechmann 1864-85, 1:199; Bachmann 1881, 46 (no. 2).

    The only trace of this book is its mention by Hermann von der Hardt in Avtographa Lutheri aliorumque (Brunswick, 1690).

  1. a) Geystlike leder vn̅ Psalmen, vppet nye gebetert. Mart. Luther…
    b) Magdeburg: Hans Walther, 1540.
    c) Wolfenbüttel, Herzog-August-Bibliothek.
    d) Music.
    e) Borchling-Claussen 1931-36, no. 1342; Benzing 1966, no. 3681; DKL MagdW nach 1539; RISM 154003; Jenny 1985, 142.
    f) Wackernag 11855, 166-67 (no. 410); Wiechmann-Kadow 1858, 38; Wiechmann 1864-85, 1:199; Bachmann 1881, 47-48 (no. 3).

  2. a) Geystlike leder vn̅ Psalmen, vppet nye gebetert. Martinus Luther.
    b) Magdeburg: Hans Walther, 1541.
    c) Lost. Formerly in Helmstedt, Universitätsbibliothek.
    d) Music.
    e) Borchling-Claussen 1931-36, no. 1355; Benzing 1966, no. 3682; DKL MagdW 1541; RISM 154104; Jenny 1985, 143.
    f) Wiechmann 1864-85, 1:199; W, 1:415-16 (no. 68); Bachmann 1881, 48-49 (no. 4); WA, 392.

  3. a) Geystlike leder vn̅ Psalmen, vppet nye gebetert. Mart. Luther…
    b) Magdeburg: Hans Walther, 1543.
    c) Lost. Formerly in Berlin, Deutsche Staatsbibliothek.
    d) Music.
    e) Borchling-Claussen 1931-36, no. 1392; Benzing 1966, no. 3683; DKL MagdW 1543; RISM 154308; Jenny 1985, 143.
    f) Wackernagel 1855, 183-84, 475 (no. 454); Geffcken 1857, 224-26; Wiechmann-Kadow 1858, 38; Wiechmann 1864-85, 1:199; Bachmann 1881, 49-51 (no. 5); WA, 393 (Hh).

This edition of no. 3 has twenty-one additional hymns, beyond the four that were added in the 1534 edition, including a new section of songs corrected by Hermann Bonn, superintendent in Lübeck

  1. a) —.
    b) Rostock: Ludwig Dietz, 1543.
    c) Lost.
    d) —.
    e) —.
    f) Wackernagel 1855, 185 (no. 455); Geffcken 1857, 225; Wiechmann-Kadow 1858, 38; Wiechmann 1864-85, 1:199; Bachmann 1881, 51 (no. 6).

At the end of no. 9 was a manuscript entry in an old hand referring to this book: “Eodem anno sol zu Rostock ein niederdeutsch Cantional gedruckt worden sein bei Ludw. Dietz” (In the same year a Low German hymnal is supposed to have been printed in Rostock by Ludw[ig] Dietz). In Beytrag zur Lieder-Historie (Leipzig, 1759), Schöber suggested that it was a reprint of no. 7.

  1. a) Eyn schön Geistlick Sangböck, Vpt nye…gerichtet…
    b) Magdeburg: Christian Rödinger, 1543.
    c) Erlangen, Universitätsbibliothek (defective); Greifswald, Universitätsbibliothek.
    d) Music.
    e) Borchling-Claussen 1931-36, no. 1381; Benzing 1966, no. 3687; DKL MagdR um 1543; RISM 154305; Jenny 1985, 143.
    f) Wiechmann-Kadow 1858, 39-42; W, 1:416,19 (no. 70); Bachmann 1881, 57-59 (no. 16); WA, 396-97 (Röd).

This large hymnal (304 pages) is not a new edition of no. 3, although it contains the same hymns plus others (it was expanded by Christian Adolph Neustädter).

  1. a) ENCHIRIDION Geistlike Lede vnd Psalmen, vppet nye gebetert. Mar. Luther…
    b) Lübeck: Johann Balhorn, Sr., 1545
    c) Greifswald, Universitätsbibliothek.
    d) Music.
    e) Borchling-Claussen 1931-36, no. 1425; Benzing 1966, no. 3684; DKL Lub 1545; RISM 154502; Jenny 1985, 144.
    f) Wackernagel 1855, 195-97 (no. 475); Geffcken 1857, 226-29; Wiechmann-Kadow 1858, 39; Wiechmann 1864-85, 1:199; Bachmann 1881, 51-53 (no. 7); WA, 394 (Ii).

    This edition of no. 3, edited by Hermann Bonn (see no. 9), includes thirteen additional hymns.