Rautenberg, Johann Wilhelm

RAUTENBERG, rau´ten-barH, JOHANN WILHELM: German Protestant and one of the fore most preachers of his day; b. at Moorfleth (a village near Hamburg) Mar. 1, 1791; d. at Hamburg Mar. 1, 1865. After being forced to flee from Hamburg in 1813 because of his part in the deliverance of Hamburg from the French, he studied at the universities of Kiel (1813–16) and Berlin (1816–17). He then returned to Hamburg, where he supported himself chiefly as a private tutor until 1820, when he was chosen pastor of St. George (now part of the city of Hamburg). There he labored for nearly forty-five years, and there, on Jan. 9, 1825, he opened a Sunday-school to give elementary secular instruction as well as religious training to those children who were deprived of opportunities for such teaching during the week. Despite much opposition, this school not only developed into a week-day school and even into the St. George Stiftskirche, but was ultimately responsible for the establishment of the Rauhes Hans (see Wichern, Johann Hinrich). Rautenberg's theological position was throughout one of unswerving orthodoxy and devotion. His chief writings were as follows: Denkblätter (13 parts, Hamburg, 1821–33); two volumes of sermons (ed. H. Sengelmann, Hamburg, 1866–1867); and two hymnals, Festliche Nachklänge (1865) and Hirtenstimmen 1866; both edited by H. Sengelmann).

(Carl Bertheau.)

Bibliography: H. Sengelmann, Zum Gedächtnis Johann Wilhelm Rautenbergs, Hamburg, 1865; F. A. Löwe, Denkwürdigkeiten aus dem Leben and Wirken des J. W. Rautenbergs, ib. 1866; J. H. Höck, Bilder aus der Geschichte der hamburgischen Kirche, pp. 323 sqq., ib. 1900; ADB, xxvii. 457 sqq.; P. Lange, Johann Wilhelm Rautenberg, Berlin, 1900.