Georg Weissel

WEISSEL, Georg. b. Domnau, near Königsberg, 1590; d. Königsberg, 1 August 1635. The son of a judge, he was educated at the University of Königsberg (1608-11) and then at several other universities, including Wittenberg, Leipzig, Jena, Strasbourg, Basel and Marburg. He became rector of a school at Friedland, near his birthplace of Domnau (1614), but resigned in order to pursue further study in theology at Königsberg. He was appointed pastor of the Altgrossgart church at Königsberg in 1623, serving there until his death. Weissel is known as the author of the Advent hymn, ‘Macht hoch die Tür, die Tor macht weit’*, the first hymn in EG. His other hymns listed by JJ (p. 1248) are the Christmas...