S. Michael M. Pfefferkorn
S. Michael M. Pfefferkorn [1]
a German theologian, was born in the year 1646 at Iffta, near Eisenach, and was the son of a minister. Having received his preparatory education at Creutzburg and Gotha, he went to Jena, where in 1666 he was created magister. From Jena he went to Leipsic, and after having completed his studies, he was appointed professor at the Altenburg gymnasium. Having occupied several stations as anl educator, he was called in 1676 to the pastorate of Friemar, near Gotha. For fifty years he faithfully discharged his ministerial functions. He died March 3, 1732. Besides other works, he is the author of some very fine hymns, which found their way into our hymnbooks, as "Was frag' ich nach der Welt und allen ihren Schatzen" (Engl. transl. by Mills, "Can I this world esteem," in Hymns from the German, page 101). See Brickner, Kirchen- und Schulenstaat im Herzogthum Gotha (Gotha, 1760, 3 parts), 4:80-82; Koch, Gesch. d. deutschen Kirchenliedes, 4:63 sq. (B.P.)
