Introduction

Biography

Ludwig was the son of Ste­phan Helm­bold, a wool­en ma­nu­fac­tur­er at Mühl­hau­sen.

He was e­du­cat­ed at Leip­zig and Er­furt (BA 1550).

After two year’s head­mas­ter­ship at St. Ma­ry’s School at Mühl­hau­sen, he re­turned to Er­furt, and re­mained in the Uni­ver­si­ty (MA 1554) as a lec­tur­er un­til his ap­point­ment in 1561 as con­rec­tor of the St. Au­gus­tine Gym­na­si­um at Er­furt.

When the Uni­ver­si­ty was re­con­sti­tut­ed in 1565, af­ter the plague of 1563–64, he was ap­point­ed dean of the Phi­lo­so­phi­cal Fa­cul­ty, and 1566, was crowned as a po­et by Em­per­or Ma­xi­mi­li­an II. How­ev­er, due to his Pro­test­ant­ism, he had to re­sign in 1570.

Returning to Mühl­hau­sen, he was ap­point­ed, in 1561, dia­co­nus of St. Ma­ry’s Church, and in 1586, pas­tor of St. Bla­si­us’ Church and Su­per­in­ten­dent at Mühl­hau­sen.