| Nun danket alle Gott |
When the first Frankenmuth settlers boarded the train from Albany to Buffalo, New York on their
journey to Michigan, they sang an old German hymn of thanksgiving called 'Nun danket alle Gott'
written long before by a Lutheran minister in Eilenburg, Saxony named Martin Rinkart, the son of a
poor coppersmith. The story goes that during the Thirty Years’ War, the walled city of Eilenburg
witnessed sorrowful crowds of refugees pouring through its gates seeking refuge from the carnage.
The Swedish army surrounded the city and famine and plague ensued, taking a terrible toll. In the
first year, thousands perished. All but three town councilmen died along with scores of school
children. Burying upwards of fifty people a day, the town pastors succumbed one by one until
Rinkart was the only one left. The town was unable to pay the huge ransom the Swedes demanded
as protection money, and the famine which followed the pestilence was so dire that people fought in
the streets over a dead animal or bird. Rinkart, grieving over the death of his wife and with no regard
for his personal safety, left the security of the walls to beg for mercy.
The Swedish commander was so impressed by his courage that he altered his demands. Even though
Rinckart's own losses were so great that he could barely feed his children and was forced to
mortgage his future income for several years, he wrote this hymn for a thanksgiving service as the
war wound to a close.
Towards the end of the 17th Century, the song had been inserted in many Protestant song books in
Germany. The song took many adaptations, including those of Pachelbel, Telemann, Bach, Liszt,
Reger and others. This hymn was also sung by the Dissenters in Leiden before embarking on the
Mayflower to Massachusetts.
It was famous in the 18th century as 'The Hymn of Leuthen', in reference to the Seven Years' War,
when on December 5, 1757, the Prussian army under Friedrich the Great defeated the Austrians in
the Battle of Leuthen. Following the heated battle, a lone Prussian soldier began to sing the hymn
'Nun danket alle Gott' and suddenly the entire Prussian army of up to 25,000 men spontaneously
took up the hymn of thanks. Later, it was the "theme song" of Mennonites fleeing persecution in
Russia in the 1920s.
The hymn was later immortalized in 1955 in West Germany at Friedland camp. The last (official)
surviving German prisoners of war were finally released from the Soviet Union after 10 long, hideous
years of captivity, and they arrived singing the hymn. The hymn is today sung in countless churches
world wide and in many languages, including English.
journey to Michigan, they sang an old German hymn of thanksgiving called 'Nun danket alle Gott'
written long before by a Lutheran minister in Eilenburg, Saxony named Martin Rinkart, the son of a
poor coppersmith. The story goes that during the Thirty Years’ War, the walled city of Eilenburg
witnessed sorrowful crowds of refugees pouring through its gates seeking refuge from the carnage.
The Swedish army surrounded the city and famine and plague ensued, taking a terrible toll. In the
first year, thousands perished. All but three town councilmen died along with scores of school
children. Burying upwards of fifty people a day, the town pastors succumbed one by one until
Rinkart was the only one left. The town was unable to pay the huge ransom the Swedes demanded
as protection money, and the famine which followed the pestilence was so dire that people fought in
the streets over a dead animal or bird. Rinkart, grieving over the death of his wife and with no regard
for his personal safety, left the security of the walls to beg for mercy.
The Swedish commander was so impressed by his courage that he altered his demands. Even though
Rinckart's own losses were so great that he could barely feed his children and was forced to
mortgage his future income for several years, he wrote this hymn for a thanksgiving service as the
war wound to a close.
Towards the end of the 17th Century, the song had been inserted in many Protestant song books in
Germany. The song took many adaptations, including those of Pachelbel, Telemann, Bach, Liszt,
Reger and others. This hymn was also sung by the Dissenters in Leiden before embarking on the
Mayflower to Massachusetts.
It was famous in the 18th century as 'The Hymn of Leuthen', in reference to the Seven Years' War,
when on December 5, 1757, the Prussian army under Friedrich the Great defeated the Austrians in
the Battle of Leuthen. Following the heated battle, a lone Prussian soldier began to sing the hymn
'Nun danket alle Gott' and suddenly the entire Prussian army of up to 25,000 men spontaneously
took up the hymn of thanks. Later, it was the "theme song" of Mennonites fleeing persecution in
Russia in the 1920s.
The hymn was later immortalized in 1955 in West Germany at Friedland camp. The last (official)
surviving German prisoners of war were finally released from the Soviet Union after 10 long, hideous
years of captivity, and they arrived singing the hymn. The hymn is today sung in countless churches
world wide and in many languages, including English.
| Nun danket alle Gott Nun danket alle Gott mit Herzen, Mund und Händen. Der große Dinge tut an uns und allen Enden, Der uns von Mutterleib und Kindesbeinen an Unzählig viel zu gut und noch jetzund getan. Der ewig reiche Gott woll uns bei unsrem Leben Ein immer fröhlich Herz und edlen Frieden geben Und uns in seiner Gnad erhalten fort und fort Und uns aus aller Not erlösen hier und dort. Lob, Ehr und Preis sei Gott, dem Vater und dem Sohne Und dem, der beiden gleich im höchsten Himmelsthrone, Dem dreimal einen Gott, als er ursprünglich war Und ist und bleiben wird jetzund und immerdar. |
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