Matthäus Greiter

GREITER, Matthäus (Mathias). b. Aichach, Bavaria, ca. 1494-95; d. ? 20 December 1550. He attended Freiburg University from 1510, before becoming a monk. By 1522 he was Cantor praebendarius at the Strasbourg Cathedral. In 1524, he converted to Lutheranism, abandoning his monastic vows and marrying. In the same year, he became the first protestant cantor of Strasbourg Cathedral. He also held several benefices in the city, and taught in schools; nevertheless he had constant financial problems. In 1546, he lost almost all of his posts due to a discovered love affair. The Cathedral returned to Catholicism in 1549, and Greiter followed suit early in 1550, returning to Holy Orders and the role of...