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Von guten Mchten
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Wikipedia article
"'Von guten Mchten'" (By good forces) is a Christian poem which Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in 1944 when he was in Finkenberg Konzentrationslager because of his resistance to the Nazis. It is his last theological text before he was executed on 9 April 1945. It became a frequently sung hymn, with different melodies, which has appeared in current German hymnals. The incipit is 'Von guten Mchten treu und still umgeben' (By loving forces devotedly and quietly surrounded). The seventh and last stanza, 'Von guten Mchten wunderbar geborgen' (By loving forces wonderfully sheltered), has been used as a refrain in a popular version.
History
Bonhoeffer was arrested as a prominent opponent of the Nazi regime on 5 April 1943, and was kept at different prisons. His writings in prison showed a new dimension in his theology. From mid-1944, around the time of the 20 July plot, he began to also write poems.
He was transferred to the Reich Security Main Office in Berlin on 8 October 1944. From there he wrote on 19 December 1944 to his betrothed Maria von Wedemeyer, adding the poem with the comments "ein paar Verse, die mir in den letzten Abenden einfielen" (a few verses that occurred to me the last evenings) and "als ein Weihnachtsgru fr Dich und die Eltern und Geschwister" (as a Christmas greeting for you and the parents and siblings). The poem refers both to his own situation and that of his family: he had to face possible execution, his brother Klaus and his brothers-in-law Hans von Dohnanyi and Rdiger Schleicher were in prison, his brother Walter had died as a soldier, and his twin sister had left the country with her Jewish husband .
Bonhoeffer's letters to Maria were not intended to be published. She made a copy for relatives for Christmas 1944.Abschrift Maria von Wedemeyers A derived typed copy appeared first in Geneva in 1945 in the ecumenical 'Gedenkschrift' (memorial writing) 'Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Das Zeugnis eines Boten'.kumenische Kommission fr die Pastoration der Kriegsgefangenen (ed.): 'Das Zeugnis eines Boten: Zum Gedchtnis von Dietrich Bonhoeffer.' Genf 1945, p. 47. This version was believed to be authentic when included it in his collection of Bonhoeffer's letters, 'Widerstand und Ergebung' ('Resistance and Resignation'), in 1951. It differs from the original in four instances and served as the basis for hymn versions. When the original letter was published in 1988, it was printed then in the critical edition, 'Dietrich Bonhoeffer Werke,' vol. 8 (1998).Dietrich Bonhoeffer: 'Widerstand und Ergebung' (= 'Dietrich Bonhoeffer Werke,' 8). Chr. Kaiser, Mnchen 1998, , p. 607ff. The Protestant hymnal 'Evangelisches Gesangbuch' of 1993 used the original text, followed by other hymnals and song books.
Form and text
The poem is in seven even stanzas, different from Bonhoeffer's other poetic texts from the period, such as "Glck und Unglck", "Wer bin ich?", "Der Freund", "Vergangenheit". The seven stanzas are numbered as in a hymnal, possibly to clarify their order.
The text of the 'Evangelisches Gesangbuch' follows Bonhoeffer's original:
Melodies
The meter of the poem does not match any hymn tune of the time. The personal beginning is not well suited to singing as a congregation. The earliest setting to music by Otto Abel in 1959 used originally only the final stanza. His melody was used for the 'Evangelisches Gesangbuch' as EG 65, in the section 'Zur Jahreswende', and in the as MG 272 in the section 'Durch das Jahr Jahreswende und Epiphanias'.
The text has been set to music more than 70 times, including a 1971 version by Joseph Gelineau,Bund Evangelisch-Freikirchlicher Gemeinden, Bund Freier evangelischer Gemeinden (Hrsg.): 'Gemeindelieder.' Oncken, Wuppertal/Kassel 1978 (19903), ; Bundes-Verlag, Witten 1978 (19903), . and a setting by in 1976.Andrew Wilson-Dickson: 'Geistliche Musik Ihre groen Traditionen Vom Psalmengesang zum Gospel.' Brunnen Verlag, Gieen 1994, p. 236f.'Gotteslob: Katholisches Gebet- und Gesangbuch. Ausgabe fr die Dizese Trier'. Paulinus, Trier, 2013, , Nr. 430. The most popular melody was written by Siegfried Fietz in 1970. In the style of Neues Geistliches Lied, he used the last stanza as a refrain, with a different melody in lower range for the verses.Henkys, S. 461 It appears in several regional parts of the 'Evangelischen Gesangbuch',Regionalausgabe Bayern-Thringen, Nummer 637; Regionalausgabe Wrttemberg, Nummer 541 (stanzas 1, 5 und 6); Regionalausgaben Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe und Reformierte Kirche, number 652. Hansjakob Becker: 'Geistliches Wunderhorn Groe deutsche Kirchenlieder'; C. H. Beck, Mnchen, 2001, , S. 460. and in regional parts of the Catholic hymnal 'Gotteslob', while the main section has the melody by Kurt Grahl as GL 430.z. B. Eigenteil sterreich Nr. 897, Ausgabe fr die Kirchenprovinz Hamburg Nr. 858.
Literature
* Jrgen Henkys: 'Von guten Mchten treu und still umgeben'. In: Hansjakob Becker u. a.: 'Geistliches Wunderhorn'. C. H. Beck, Mnchen 2001, , pp 452461.
References
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