Martin Rinckart

Rinckart, Martin or Martin Rinkart (Eilenburg, Saxony, 1586-1649, Eilenburg), studied at Leipzig, was a deacon at Eisleben (1611) and from 1617 principal pastor in his native town. Rinckart's selfless devotion to the care of his parish through the tribulations of the Thirty Years War (see Dreissigjähriger Krieg) is recorded. His first literary works were plays, notably Der Eislebische Ritter (1613) in which Luther triumphs over the representatives of the other religions, the Pope and Calvin. All three are depicted as knights disputing an inheritance. He is the author of several collections of devout and deeply felt hymns, which include ‘Nun danket alle Gott’, known throughout the world. It was published in Jesu-Hertz-Büchlein in geistlichen Oden (1636) and is among those selected by C. Winkworth for translation into English.