WALTHER, JOHANN: German Lutheran musician and writer of hymns; b. near Cola, a small Thuringian village, 1496; d. at Torgau (31 m. e.n.e. of Leipsic) perhaps Mar. 25 (at least before Apr. 24), 1570. By 1524 he was at Torgau as bassist to Frederick the Wise, and during the same year he assisted Luther at Wittenberg in adapting the old music to Lutheran requirements, the results, first used in Luther's Deutsche 3lesse, appearing in the Geystliche gesangk Buchlcyn (Wittenberg, 1524), while Walther himself attended the first German celebration of the Holy Communion, as rearranged by him and Luther, at the Wittenberg Stadtkirche on Oct. 29, 1525. In 1526 Walther was appointed choirmaster by Elector John of Saxony, and eight years later he was also made singing master to the school at Torgau. He went to Dresden in 1548 as choirmaster to Elector Maurice of Saxony, and on Aug. 7, 1554, was pensioned, whereupon he returned to Torgau and there passed the remainder of his life.

Walther's musical settings were for choral, not congregational, singing. In the Deutsche 117esse his part was the responses of the choir and congregation,, while Luther prepared the portions to be sung by the pastor. Walther also made two settings (in 1530 and 1552) for the passion music from Matthew and John. His hymns, ten in number, appeared chiefly in the Christliches Kinderlied D. Martini Lutheri (Wittenberg, 1566), and are conveniently collected by P. Wackernagel, Dos deutsche Kirchenlied, iii.. 187-206, nos. 219-229 (5 vols., Lei-psic, 1864-77). Two of these have been translated into English: "Herzlich Lieb hob ich dish, mein Gott!" by A. T. Russell as " 0 God, my Rock, my heart on Thee ";

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and the far more popular " Herzlich that mich erfreuen," by Miss Susanna Winkworth as " Now faro my joyous heart would sing," by B. H. Kennedy as "Soon will the heavenly Bridegroom come," by M. Loy as "The Bridegroom soon will call us," and by Miss H. R. Krauth as " Leap forth, my heart, rejoicing," together with one or two less important versions.

Bibliography: Julian, Hymnology, pp. 12312; wacker nagel, as noted in the text; and literature under Hymnology.

WALTHER, RUDOLF. See Gualther, Rudolf.

WALTHER, WILHELM MARKUS: German Evangelical; b. at Cuxhaven (60 m. n.w. of Hamburg) Jan. 7, 1846. He received his education at the universities of Erlangen, Marburg, and Göttingen, 1865-70; was pastor in his native place, 1870-95; and then took his present position of professor of church history and the history of dogma at the University of Rostock. He has given especial attention to the history of the final period of the Middle Ages and of the Reformation. Among his published works are: Luther vor dem Riehterstuhl der Germanic (Hamburg, 1883); Luther im rte esten römischen Gericht (4 parts, Halle, 1885-92); Die Friichte der römischen Beichte (Brunswick, 1888); Die Bibeliibersetzungen des Miltelalters (3 parts, 1889-91); Luthers Bibeliibersetztcng kein Plagiat (Leipsic, 1891); Die Bedeutung der deutschert Reformation für die Gesundheit unseres Yolkslebens (1894); Melanehthon als Retter des wissenschaftliches ,Sinnes (1897); Bin Merkmal des Schwarmergeistes (1898); Das Zeugnis des heiligen Geistes each Luther and nach moderner Schwarmerei (1899); Adolf Harnacks Wesen des Christerttums für die christliche Gemeinde gepruft (1901); Das Erbe der Reformation in Kampfe der Gegenwart (3 parts, 1903-09); Denifles Luther, eine Ausgebttrt romischer Moral (1904); Für Luther wider Rom. Handbuch der Apologetik Luthers und der Reformation den römischen Anklagen gegeniiber (1906); Das dlteste und das neueste Christusbild (Wismar, 1906); Heinrich VIII. von England and Luther (Leipsic, 1908); Pauli Christentum, Jesu Evangelium (1908); Zur Wertung der deutschen Reformation (1909); and a number of volumes of sermons. He has also contributed to the Weimar edition of ,Luther's works (vols. xix., xxiii.).