Introduction

Biography

Michael was the son of Schleu­sing­en mer­chant Se­bas­tian Franck.

At the Gym­na­si­um of his na­tive town he made good pro­gress, but at his fa­ther’s death it was found pos­si­ble on­ly to give his bro­thers Se­bas­ti­an and Pe­ter a uni­ver­si­ty edu­ca­tion.

Michael was ac­cord­ing­ly ap­pren­ticed to a bak­er, and in 1628 be­came a mas­ter baker at Schleu­sing­en.

Reduced to po­ver­ty by the suf­fer­ings of war, he fled in 1640 to Co­burg, was there kind­ly re­ceived by one of the master bak­ers, and in 1644, some­what un­ex­pect­ed­ly, was ap­point­ed mas­ter of the low­er class­es in the town school.

…

He was a friend of Dach and Neu­mark; was in 1659 crowned by Rist as a po­et, and af­ter­wards re­ceived in­to his order of Elbe Swans. In his times of trial he found con­so­la­tion in hymn writ­ing.

While ma­ny of his piec­es are crude in form and ex­pres­sion, some are yet po­pu­lar in style, and are full of faith.

Julian, p. 387