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Joachim Neumann ( - 1556)
Omstreeks 1550 werd door de Raad van Stade, een stad aan de mond van de Elbe, een persoon gezocht, om leiding te geven aan hun jonge Protestants-Lutherse kerk. Het was zeer belangrijk, dat de persoon hiervoor zowel voldoende praktisch als wetenschappelijk gevormd was. Eerst vroeg de Raad van Stade aan de heer Hardenberg in Bremen om advies maar in Bremen gaf men de vraag liever door aan Philip Melanchthon uit Wittenberg daar hij hiervoor de grootste autoriteit was. Melanchthon stelde voor om Joachim Neumann uit Wismar hiervoor te benoemen, want Joachim had in Rostock en Wittenberg gestudeerd, was Magister en had al verschillende amten bekleed . Melanchthon schreef:
"Wir haben beschlossen, diesen ehrhaften und gelehrten Mann, namens Joachim Neumann, aus Wismar gebürtig, dir zuzusenden, welchen wir wegen seiner vielen ausgezeichneten Gaben für geschickt halten, das Regiment über eine so zahlreiche Kirche zu führen. Er ist in allen seinen Handlungen gemäßigt, von keuchen und reinen Sitten. Auch ist er bereits Hausvater und hat hierselbst Beweise seiner Kenntnisse und Rechtschaffenheit gegeben. Er unterweiset Andere mit Treue und erträgt seine armliche Lage mit Ergebung. Seine Gelehrsamheit ist ausgezeichnet, und durch seine Klugheit und Beredsamheit wird er eine Zierde des Amtes werden können. lch weiß, daß du als ein geschickter Menschenkenner diesen Mann für geeignet halten wirst, sobald du einigen Tagen lang im Umgange seine Anlagen, seine Sitten und sein gediegenes Urtheil wirst beobachtet haben. u.s.w."
Philip Melanchton.
De Raad van Stade volgde dit voorstel en benoemde Joachim in 1555 tot predikant in de Pankratius Kerk. De Pankratius Kerk, ook wel de Burgkirche genoemd, was in 994 oorspronkelijk als kapel voor het kasteel van Stade gebouwd. Het kasteel was in de 12de eeuw tijdens een boerenopstand verwoest, maar de Gemeente van deze kapel groeide in de loop der tijd sterk uit en in de l6de eeuw was de Pankratius Kerk een van de grootste kerken van Stade. Veel later verloor zij aan invloed en na een brand in 1733 was de kerk zo vervallen, dat zij afgebroken werd.
Joachim heeft maar korte tijd deze kerk kunnen leiden, want een jaar na zijn aankomst is hij in 1556 plotseling gestorven.
Joachim had twee zonen die beiden in Stade gebleven zijn. De oudste heette ook Joachim, de tweede Frans.
Joachim Neumann (II)
Deze volgde later zijn vader op en werd in 1582 predikant aan de Cosmae und Damiani Kerk in Stade en in 1602 "Senior". Hij stierf in 1627. Hij schijnt al zeer Calvinistische ideen te hebben, zonder dat daardoor problemen met het Lutherse Stade te ondervinden. Ook de jongere broeder Frans is Predikant in Stade geworden (van 1582 tot 1602).
Joachim Neumann (III) / Neander
De oudste zoon van Joachim (II) was Joachim (III). Zijn vader liet hem niet in het Lutherse Stade blijven maar zond hem in 1609 naar het gereformeerde Gymnasium in Steinfurt, in het bij de Nederlanden liggende gebied Tecklenburg en Bentheim waar onder de invloed van de Staten Generaal der Nederlanden het Calvinisme heerste.
Nadat hij zijn studie in Steinfurt beeindigd had en hij al ergens anders gewerkt had, werd hij eerst predikant in Lengerich, daarna in 1633 in Bentheim en eindelijk in 1638 in Lochem bij Zutphen, waar hij in 1651 stierf In de kerk in Lochem is nog een zilveren Avondsmaal beker met een inscriptie en zijn wapen aanwezig. Hij was getrouwd met Anna Elisabeth Duischen, de dochter van de Nederlandse predikant Johan Duischen uit Zutphen. Joachim veranderde zijn naam van Neumann tot het Grieks Neander (Nieuw geboren). Zijn oudste zoon 12 Mei 1614 in Lengerich geboren werd naar zijn vader Joachim en naar zijn moeders vader Johan genoemd: Johann Joachim Neander. Joachim had nog twee kinderen: Adolf en Anna Elisabeth, die later getrouwd is met Gerrit Thomas. Zij bleven in Nederland wonen. In Nederland werd hun familie-naam Nymann en deze familie Ieeft nog in Nederland.
Johann Joachim Neander (IV)
Johann Joachim gaat eerst op school in Lengerich en gaat dan, zoals zijn vader, naar Steinfurt. Daarna in 1631, als hij 17 jaar is, wordt hij voor zijn verdere studie naar Bremen gestuurd. Hier woonde hij bij een familielid Johann Willius, de leider van het "Padagogium". Joachim wilde echter niet de colleges van de beroemde Theoloog L. Grocius volgen, maar volgde die der taalwetenschappen. De studie in Bremen duurde 5 jaar en toen wilde Joachim niet verder studeren. Maar misschien had zijn vader niet voldoende geld om in de onrustige oorlogstijd hem verder te kunnen helpen en kreeg hij geen steun meer van zijn familie in Bremen. Hij wordt dan direct na zijn studie leeraar en hij treedt op 9 Dec. 1636 in dienst bij het "Peadagogium" als leeraar voor de 3de klas. Hij schijnt daarmee tevreden te zijn geweest want hij blijft hier 30 jaar lang tot zijn dood.
In zijn lijkrede wordt gezegd: "Er hat sich durch Tüchtigkeit und Treue bewahrt (maar niet genoeg voor een betere baan!) ein Mann der sich um die ihm anvertrauten Jugend auf 's Hoechste verdient gemacht, der die Tagesarbeit am fruhesten begann und am spätesten beendete. Neander habe seines schweren Amtes stets mit Treue, Kunst und Gottvertrauen gewartet." Hoe moeilijk zijn werk met 90 tot 100 leerlingen in een klas was staat te lezen in een schildering van een van zijn leerlingen: "Dieser lacht, jener hat seine Gedanken woanders, der kritzelt, ein Anderer stört den ruhig Dasitzenden und der ruhig Sitzende weist den Störensfried ab, diesem steht seine Voreiligkeit, jenem seine Stumpfheit im Wege. So hören aus den ganzen Zahl kaum zwanzig was gesagt wird, die Übrigen sind Faulpelze, frech und unaufmerksam."
Na 6 jaar werk en weinig geld trouwt Joachim in 1642 met Maria, geboren Koch, de weduwe van dominee Meinhard Meinerz uit St.Anscharii. Het huwelijk blijft kinderloos en Maria sterft 17 Februari 1648. Een jaar later trouwt Joachim op 18 September 1649 met Catharina Knipping, de dochter van zijn collega Christoph Knipping die aan dezelfde school in de 4de klas zangleeraar was. Joachim en Catharina hadden 4 kinderen: Joachim, Christopher, Johann en Anna Christina. Tijdens een beleg van Bremen door de Zweden sterft Joachim 16 Februari 1666 aan vlektyphus en een hartaanval.
De drie zoons van Johann Joachim gaan allen eerst op school op het Padagogium, daarna naar de Universiteit van Bremen en studeren daar theologie. Joachim de oudste wordt daar volgens het Bremische Universitäts Album in 1666, 16 jaar oud, ingeschreven, dus kort nadat zijn vader overleden was. Christophor, de tweede zoon volgt in 1669, l7 jaar oud en Johann in 1671 ook 17 jaar oud. Later voltooien Joachim en Christophor hun studie nog in Heidelberg.
Joachim Neander (V)
Joachim (V) wordt de bekende dichter van protestanse erkliederen en psalmen. Van 1674 tot 1679 is hij rector van de Latijnse School in Düsseldorf en in 1678 Predikant in Bremen. Uit het leven van Joachim blijkt zijn voortdurende twijfel en strijd tussen de verschillende richtingen in het Protestantisme. Joachim werd ook lang na zijn dood in Düsseldorf en de Rijnprovincie geeerd en vele verhalen leefden voort hoe Hij zocht rust in een grot buiten de stad waar hij met zijn geloof vocht, zijn liederen dichtte en met zijn geloofsgenoten de bijbel studeerde. Hij vond veel vrienden, die hem volgden maar zijn houding tegenover de kerk in Düsseldorf vondt ook veel kritiek want hij hield zijn bijbelkringen zonder toestemming van de predikant en de waarde van de preek werd hierdoor sterk verminderd. Hij bleef later weg bij de preken, want die vond hij lauw en oninteressant, en hij bleef zelfs weg van het Avondmaal - om zich niet te bevlekken in de gemeenschap van "Unerweckte Seele". In 1678 wordt Joachim tot predikant in Bremen beroepen, waar hij 2 jaar later op 31 Mei 1680, 30 jaar oud sterft. Zijn grafschrift luid: "Ich will lieber zu Tode hoffen, als durch Unglauben verloren gehen."
Lang na zijn dood werd Joachim nog zeer geeerd in Düsseldorf en de Rijnprovincie en verhalen leefden voort over de bijeenkomsten in de grot, zo zeer, dat de grot de naam Neander-grot kreeg en het kleine dal Neanderthal. En het is dezelfde grot, waarin later resten van prehistorische mensen gevonden werden en daarom draagt de Neanderthal mens de naam van Joachim Neander!
Joachim (V) is de enige van de drie zonen van Johan Joachim die in Duitsland blijft. Christophor en Johan gingen nadat hun studie beeindigd was terug naar Nederland, waar de rest van hun familie leefde. Johan gaat naar Utrecht, het is echter niet bekend welke functie hij daar bekleed heeft. Omdat de twee broers van Joachim in de Nederlanden woonden, werden veel van de liederen van Joachim direct in het Nederlands vertaald.
Christophor Neander wordt in Februari 1685 beroepen als predikant in Varik in Limburg en al in October 1685 naar Sluis in Zeeland. In Mei 1692 wordt hij predikant in Amersfoort. Hij trouwt met Anna Lucia Taets van Amerongen, de dochter van Jacob Taets van Amerongen en Lucia Ruysch.
Maria Catharina Neander, de dochter van Christophor Neander en Anna Lucia Taets van Amerongen wordt op 18 November 1692 in Amersfoort geboren. Zij trouwt met Dirck Loogen, Burgemeester van Amersfoort op 13 Sept. 1723.
English translation of the above text:
Joachim Neumann ( - 1556)
Around 1550 the Counsel of Stade, a town at the mouth of the Elbe, was looking for a man to lead their young Protestant Lutheran church. It was very important that the person for this task be sufficiently experienced both in practical terms and in his teaching. First the Counsel of Stade asked Herr Hardenberg in Bremen for advice, but in Bremen they preferred to pass the request on to Philip Melanchton from Wittenberg as he was the greatest authority in this regard. Melanchthon recommended that Joachim Neumann from Wismar be appointed for this because Joachim had studied in Rostock and Wittenberg, had been awarded a Masters degree, and had already served in a number of Offices. Melanchthon wrote (in German):
"We have decided to send you this honourable and scholared man called Joachim Neumann, born in Wismar, who, due to his many excellent gifts, we believe to be suitable to hold leadership over such a large Church. He is temperate in all his dealings, and of chaste and pure ways. Also, he is already father of a family, and here too has shown proof of his knowledge and integrity. He teaches others with faithfulness and suffers his lowly position with humility. His learning is excellent and through his intelligence and eloquence he will be able to become a credit to this position. I know that, as keen observer of human nature, you will hold this man suitable once you have observed for a few days his gifts and ways and his solid judgment, etc."
Philip Melanchton.
The Counsel of Stade followed this recommendation and in 1555 appointed Joachim to the post of Minister in the Pankratius Church. The Pankratius Church, also called the Burgkirche, was originally built in 994 as chapel for the castle of Stade. The castle was ruined in the 12th Century during a peasant uprising, but the community of this chapel grew strongly in the course of time and in the 16th Century the Pankratius Church was one of the biggest churches in Stade. Much later it lost in influence and after a fire in 1733 the church was in such a state of ruin that it was demolished.
Joachim could only lead this church for a short time, because in 1556, a year after his arrival, he suddenly died.
Joachim had two sons who both stayed in Stade. The eldest was also called Joachim, the second Frans.
Joachim Neumann (II)
This one followed his father and in 1582 became Minister at the Cosmae and Damiani Church in Stade, and in 1602 he became an Elder. He died in 1627. He seems to already have had very Calvinistic ideas, without this leading to any problems with predominently Lutheran Stade. His younger brother Frans also became Minister in Stade (from 1582 to 1602).
Joachim Neumann (III) / Neander
The eldest son of Joachim (II) was Joachim (III). His father did not allow him to stay in the Lutheran town of Stade. In 1609 he sent him to the reformed College in Steinfurt, in the Tecklenburg and Bentheim regions of the Netherlands where, under the influence of the State General of the Netherlands, Calvinism was predominant.
After he had completed his studies in Steinfurt and had already worked elsewhere, he first became minister in Lengerich, then in 1633 in Bentheim and finally in 1638 in Lochem near Zutphen in the Netherlands, where he died in 1651. In the church in Lochem there is still a silver Communion beaker bearing an inscription and his coat of arms. He was married to Anna Elisabeth Duischen, the daughter of the Dutch Minster Johan Duischen from Zutphen, Switzerland. In Betheim, Joachim changed his name from Neumann to the Greek Neander (New Born, or Born Again). His eldest son, who was born in Lengerich on 12 May 1614, was named after his father Joachim and his mother' s father Johann: Johann Joachim Neander. Joachim had two more children: Adolf and Anna Elisabeth, who later married Gerrit Thomas. They remained in the Netherlands. Here, their surname became Nymann and to this day this family still lives in the Netherlands.
Johann Joachim Neander (IV)
Johann Joachim first went to school in Lengerich and then, as his father, to Steinfurt. After this, in 1631 when he was 17 years of age, he was sent to Bremen to further studies. Here he lived with a relative called Johann Willius who was the leader of the "College". Joachim preferred not to attend the course of the famous Theologian L. Grocius, and instead attended those on Language Studies. The studies in Bremen lasted 5 years, after which Joachim did not wish to study any longer. It is possible that his father did not have sufficient money to continue to help him in these uncertain times of War, and that he no longer received support from his family in Bremen. Immediately after his studies he became teacher and on 9th December 1636 he commenced in service as teacher of the 3rd class at the "College". He appears to have been satisfied with this because he stayed here for 30 years until his death.
In his commemoration speech it was said: "He proved himself through hard work and faithfulness (but not enough to be given a better position!) a man who richly earned himself the youth entrusted to him, one who started the day' s work at the earliest and ended at the latest. Neander had always served his difficult Office with faithfulness, skill, and faith in God." How difficult his work was with 90 to 100 students in a class can be read in a description written by one of his students: "This one laughs, the other has his thoughts elsewhere, another doodles, and yet another disturbs the one sitting quietly, and the one sitting quietly sends the disturbing one away; one is hindered by his own impatience, the other by his own obtuseness. Thus of the entire room, hardly twenty hear what is being said, the rest are lazy, cheeky, and unattentive."
In 1642, after 6 years work and little money, Joachim marries Maria, born Koch, the widow of Minister Meinhard Meinerz from St.Anscharii. The marriage remains childless and Maria dies on 17th February 1648. One year later, on 18 September 1649, Joachim marries Catharina Knipping, the daughter of his colleague Christoph Knipping who was music teacher in the 4th class at the same school. Joachim and Catharina had 4 children: Joachim, Christopher, Johann and Anna Christina. During an occupation of Bremen by the Swedes, Joachim dies on 16 February 1666 from typhus and a heart attack.
The three sons of Johann Joachim all attended school at the College, then at the University of Bremen where they studied Theology. According to the University Album of 1666, Joachim the eldest, then 16 years old, is admitted to the University, only a short time after the death of his father. Christophor, the second son, follows in 1669 aged l7 years, and Johann in 1671, also aged 17 years. Later, Joachim and Christophor complete their studies in Heidelberg.
Joachim Neander (V)
Joachim Neander (V) became the famous writer of protestant hymns and psalms. From 1674 to 1679 he was rector of the Latin school in Düsseldorf and in 1678 Minister in Bremen. From the life of Joachim it appears that there was constant suspicion and conflict between the various directions of Protestantism. Long after his death, Joachim was still reveered in Düsseldorf and the Rhein province and many stories survived about how he sought peace in a cave outside the town where he wrestled with his belief, wrote his songs and studied the Bible with fellow believers. He found many friends who followed him but his attitude towards the church in Düsseldorf also found him much criticism because he held his Bible studies without the Minister' s consent and the value of his sermons was severely reduced as a result. Later, he would remain away from the sermons because he found them feeble and uninteresting, and he even remained away from the Holy Communion services in order not to taint himself in the fellowship of "unawakened Souls". In 1678 Joachim was called to the post of Minister in Bremen, where he died 2 years later on 31st May 1680 aged 30. His epitaph states: "I would rather die from hope than be lost through unbelief."
Long after his death, Joachim was still very reveered in Düsseldorf and the Rhein province, and stories survived about the gatherings in the cave. So much so, that this cave was named Neander Cave and the small valley Neander Valley, or Neander Thal in German (now usually spelt "Neandertal" in German and Neanderthal in English). It is in this same cave that remains of prehistoric man were later found and this is why Neanderthal Man bears the name of our ancestor Joachim Neander!
Joachim (V) is the only of the three sons of Johan Joachim who stayed in Germany. Christophor and Johan returned to the Netherlands after their studies were completed, where the rest of their families lived. Johan went to Utrecht, balthough it is not known which position he took there. Because Joachim' s two brothers lived in the Netherlands, many of his songs were immediately translated into Dutch.
In February 1685 Christophor Neander was called to become Minister in Varik in Limburg (Netherlands) and already in October 1685 at Sluis in Zeeland. In May 1692 he became Minister in Amersfoort, Netherlands. He married Anna Lucia Taets van Amerongen, the daughter of Jacob Taets van Amerongen and Lucia Ruysch.
Maria Catharina Neander, the daughter of Christophor Neander and Anna Lucia Taets van Amerongen was born in Amersfoort on 18 November 1692. On September 1723 she married Dirck Loogen, who was Burgemeester of Amersfoort.
(end of translatation of full text)
Shortly after the Reformation in 1517, when Martin Luther famously nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Schlosskirche in Wittenberg and founded the Protestant Church, there was a succession of five generations of Protestant Ministers each called Joachim Neumann. We don' t know when the first was born, but he died in 1556, so it is more than probable that he would have met Martin Luther. The third Joachim Neumann changed his name from Neumann (which means ' New Man' in German) to Neander (which means ' New Born' or ' Re-born' in Greek). The fifth Joachim was born in 1652 (with surname Neander from birth) and became Minister in a number of places including Varik, Sluis, and Amersfoort in the Netherlands. This man became the famous composer of Protestant psalms and hymns, some of which are still sung in Churches today. From 1674 to 1679 he was Rector of the Latin School in Düsseldorf and in 1678 he became Minister in Bremen, Germany.
This Joachim Neander seems to have been caught up in the tensions that existed between various fractions of the early Protestant Church (Lutherans, Calvinists, etc.). He used to seek rest in a nearby cave, away from the busy town, to grapple with his beliefs, to compose hymns, and to hold Bible studies and discussions with his fellow believers.
He found many friends, but his attitude towards the Church in Düsseldorf also found him many critics, because he held his discussion groups without their permission. Later, he would stay away entirely from the sermons in Düsseldorf because he found them increasingly uninteresting. He even stayed away from the Holy Communion services so as ' not to taint himself in the company of "unawakened Souls".'
Joachim Neander died at the age of 30, two years after becoming Minister in Bremen. Even after his death he was very highly regarded in Düsseldorf and the Rhein Province. Many stories survived of how he used to retreat to his cave to hold discussions and to write hymns. So much so that the cave was named ' Neander Cave' and the entire valley became known as the ' Neander Valley' , or "Neandertal" in German. And it was in this same cave that the first prehistoric human bones were found which were then named after Joachim Neander' s valley, Neanderthal Man!
Our family descend from Joachim' s brother, Christophor Neander (1652 - 1723) who too was a Minister at Varik, Sluis, and Amersfoort in the Netherlands. However, please note that this does not mean that the Backer Dirks family is descended from Neanderthal Man instead of Homo Sapiens like the rest of humanity.