Neander, Joachim 01/01/1650 - 05/31/1680

Joachim Neander (1650-1680) was a German pastor and church hymn writer and composer. The Neandertal was named after him. He came from a family of pastors, who changed their German name Neumann to a Greek version (Neander, or "new man") after the fashion of the time.

He studied Protestant theology in Brehem and worked as a teacher in Heidelberg and Frankfurt. In 1670 he came under the influence of the revival preacher Theodor Undereyck, who obtained for him a position as tutor in a Frankfurt salesman's family. Here he met Philipp Jacob Spener, whose Pia Desideria, published in 1675, became the starting point for Pietism.

In 1674 Neander became director of the Latin School in Düsseldorf as well as substitute preacher. He composed texts and melodies for numerous hymns. A valley of the Düssel stream near Mettman, where Neander often composed and held religious services, was in the 19th century named Neandertal in his honor.

After Neander had difficulties in Düsseldorf with the church administration he left Düsseldorf to become substitute preacher in the Church of St. Martini in his native town of Bremen and composed his chorale Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren ("Praise the Lord, the Mighty King of Honors") . After only a year working in his native town Neander died at the age of only 29 or 30, perhaps of the plague.