Melchior Schaerer (* baptized 11/17/1563 in Stuttgart, † 07/1/1624 in Menzingen) was a Swabian pastor, musician and astrologer. No details are known about the childhood of the young Melchior. Schaerer began his studies on August 7, 1578, at the University of Tübingen where he received his Baccalaureus degree in 1579 and his Master of Arts degree in 1583. After his marriage (1585), Schaerer became a pastor in 1591 in Widder approximately 20 km northeast of Heilbronn.
From his time in Widder, there are known song compositions by him which are still played today (e.g. from 1602 the "Gesang mit dreyen Stimmen"). In 1605 he changed the parish office once again and went to Menzingen (about 30 km west of Heilbronn) where he died.
Already since the mid 1580s Schaerer was engaged in astrological predictions. A letter to Johannes Kepler from the year 1593 is handed down.
