Johann Cruger

Full biography Johann Cruger

Johann Cruger, also known as Johannes Cruger, was a German composer, musician and music theorist born on April 9, 1598 in Groß Breesen, Germany. He is known for his contributions as a composer of well-known Lutheran hymns, and as the editor of the most widely used Lutheran hymnal of his time. Despite not writing hymns himself, Cruger was highly regarded for his music and tune compositions for various hymns and songs during his time.

Cruger served as the Lutheran cantor at St. Nicholas Church in Berlin in 1622, where he taught at the Gray Cloister and composed music instruction manuals. Notably, his best-known publication is the Synopsis Musica (1630) which served as a popular manual for music students during his time.

Cruger was a close friend of Paul Gerhardt, another notable Lutheran composer and hymn writer in the 17th century. Cruger composed tunes for various hymns written by Gerhardt, many of which are still used in Lutheran services today.

Cruger passed away on February 23, 1662 in Berlin, Germany. Despite his contributions to music, Cruger remains relatively unknown outside of hymnology and music theory circles. However, his musical legacy lives on through his compositions and through the continued use of his hymn tunes in Christian worship services.