Neumark, Georg 03/17/1621 - 07/08/1681

Georg Neumark (1621-1681) was a German composer and musician. He grew up in Mühlhausen and attended the gymnasium in Schleusingen and Gotha. In 1640 he was robbed near Gardelegen on his way to study in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia) and struggled his way through Hamburg and Kiel until he finally arrived in Königsberg three years later and probably met the poets' circle around Heinrich Albert and Simon Dach.



After stays in Danzig, Thorn and Hamburg he received a position in 1652 as chancellery registrar and princely librarian in Weimar: he was in effect the court poet there (and in 1653 became a member of the Fruitful Society). His changing biography is described in the autobiographical poem "Thränendes Hauskreutz" ("Weeping House Cross"). His most famous hymn (in all 34 have been ascribed to him) is »Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten« ("Let God Dispose"); he is supposed to have composed it in Kiel in 1641, when he finally obtained a position as tutor. Later he composed the melody and four-part setting for it.