ZEZSCHWITZ, taetsh'wits, KARL ADOLF GERHARD VON: Lutheran theologian; b. at
Bautzen (31 m. e.n.e. of Dresden) July 2, 1825; d.
at Erlangen July 20, 1886. After elementary instruction
at Dresden and Bautzen, he entered in
1846 the University of Leipsic, studying under
Winer and Harless; he then became an assistant in
the Mission House at Leipsic, and also taught in a
girls' school; next he became substitute pastor at
Glosazachocher, a village near Leipsic; from there
he went to Leipsic ps second university preacher in
1856, having developed a rich experience which he
was hereafter to utilize in the department of cate-
chetics. In 1857 he became a teacher in the university, and published
Petri apostoli de Christi descensu ad inferos sententia . . . (Leipsic,
1857), also
Profangracttat and biblischer
Sprachgeist (1859). Besides exegesis, he dealt with catechetics; his work
as preacher was acceptable, and he issued two volumes of sermons (1860, 1864). By 1862 he had
finished the first volume of his
System der christlichkirchlichen Katechetik,
completed in 1864. Beginning in 1862 he issued a series of smaller works on
catechetics which was not completed till the issue
of his
Christenlehre im Zusammenhang
(1885). During 18635 he delivered lectures at Frankfort,
Darmstadt, and Basel, afterward published as
Inhere Mission, Volkserziehung and Prophetenthum
(Frankfort, 1864), and
Apologie des Christenthums
reach Geschichte und Lehre (Leipsic, 1866). In 1865
he received a call as professor to Giessen, and the
next year to Erlangen to teach practical theology; in
1867 the position of university preacher came to him;
in 1868 he founded the Studienhaus, which became
influential in the university, in which he exercised a
useful leadership. In 1885 he laid down his position
of university preacher, but devoted himself the more
earnestly to his work of teaching.
Alongside his works on catechetica stands his
chief work,
Das System der praktischen Theologie
(Leipsic, 1878), which
found a wide and welcome
field of usefulness. Other works are:
Yom
römischen Kaiserthum deutscher Nation
(1877);
Das mittelalterliche Drama vom Ende des römischen Kaz
serlhums (1878); and
Einleitung in die praktische Theologie
(Nördlingen,
1883). In his ecclesiastical
relations Zezachwitz was a faithful Lutheran, op
posing Romanism and also the "Union." In his
culture he was wide and catholic, and his influence
was salutary.
(T. Ficker.)
