Introduction

Biography

Son of a pas­tor, Rist at­tend­ed the Jo­han­ne­um in Ham­burg and the Gym­na­si­um Il­lustre in Bre­men, then ma­tri­cu­lat­ed at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Rin­teln.

Under the in­flu­ence of Jo­shua Steg­man there, his in­te­rest in hymn writ­ing be­gan. On leav­ing Rin­teln, he tu­tored the sons of a Ham­burg mer­chant, ac­com­pa­ny­ing them to the Uni­ver­si­ty of Ros­tock, where he stu­died He­brew, ma­the­ma­tics, and me­di­cine.

During his time at Ros­tock, the Thir­ty Years War al­most emp­tied the Uni­ver­si­ty, and Rist him­self lay there for sev­er­al weeks, suf­fer­ing from pes­ti­lence. Aft­er his re­cov­ery, he seems to have spent some time at Ham­burg.

In 1633, he be­came tu­tor in the house of Land­schreib­er Hein­rich Sa­ger at Hei­de, in Hol­stein. There he mar­ried Eli­za­beth Stap­fel, daugh­ter of a judge, and spent the rest of his life.

Emperor Fer­di­nand II crowned him as a po­et in 1644, and in 1653 raised him to the no­bi­li­ty. Among oth­er lit­er­ary hon­ors, Rist be­came a mem­ber of the Peg­nitz Or­der in 1645, and the Fruit­bear­ing So­ci­ety in 1647. In 1660, he found­ed the El­be Swan Or­der, though it did not sur­vive his death.