Emilie Juliane (sometimes alternatively spelled Ämilie or Aemilie; 1637—1706) was a devout Lutheran lady, Countess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt — and one of the most prolific of all German female hymn-writers, with almost 600 hymns attributed to her authorship.

In this Story Time episode, Sarah delves into the now-relatively-obscure life of one of 17th century Lutheranism’s most noteworthy women, beginning with her tragic and turbulent childhood during the Thirty Years’ War and continuing through her early orphanhood, her close relationship with her cousins (one of whom became her best friend and fellow #hymnnerd, another of whom she married), and the loss of her only daughter.

The episode ends with a discussion of the several English translations of her hymns included in recent LCMS hymnals: “Once in the Blest Baptismal Waters” (LSB 598), “Who Knows When Death May Overtake Me” (TLH 598), “The Lord Hath Helped Me Hitherto, By His Surpassing Favor” (TLH 33), “God Brought Me to This Time and Place” (LW 456).

To learn more about Emilie Juliane, check out Judith P. Aikin’s biography A Ruler’s Consort in Early Modern Germany: Aemilia Juliana of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. For more about the lives of beloved hymnwriters, check out Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns or Eternal Anthems: The Story Behind Your Favorite Hymns, Volume 2, both available from CPH.

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