1620–1682
Martin Jahn

Introduction

Born: Cir­ca 1620, Mer­se­burg, Sax­ony-An­halt.

Died: Cir­ca 1682, Ohl­au, Si­le­sia (now Oła­wa, Po­land).

Biography

In 1644, Ja­nus ma­tri­cu­lat­ed at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Kö­nigs­berg (now Ka­lin­in­grad, Rus­sia).

After se­ver­al se­mes­ters stu­dy­ing theo­lo­gy, he be­came can­tor in Stei­nau (now Ści­na­wa Ma­ła, Po­land), in the Du­chy of Op­ole.

During the Thir­ty Years’ War, he fled to Low­er Lu­sa­tia and be­came mu­sic di­rect­or of the ev­an­ge­li­cal church­es in So­rau (now Ża­ry, Po­land), evi­dent­ly helped by Bar­on Sig­is­mund von Prom­nitz Sei­fried.

After Prom­nitz’ death in 1654, Ja­nus went to Sa­gan, where he was rec­tor and can­tor at the town school. Around 1664, he was al­so be­came pas­tor at the neigh­bor­ing vill­age of Eck­er.

When Duke Wen­zel Eu­se­bi­us of Lob­ko­wicz as­sumed pow­er in the Duchy of Sa­gan, Pro­test­ant preach­ers were ex­pelled in 1678, and Ja­nus had to flee once again.

After a long search, he found a job as a can­tor in Ohl­au, where Du­chess Lou­ise of An­halt-Des­sau lived.

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