Rautenberg, Johann Wilhelm

Rautenberg, Johann Wilhelm father of the Inner Mission at Hamburg, was born at Moorflath, near Hamburg, March 1, 1791. He studied at Kiel under Twesten, and at Berlin under Neander, who both influenced him, and brought him nearer to Him whom he afterwards proclaimed with such fervor and blessing. In 1820 he was appointed pastor of St. George, a suburb of Hamburg, where, amid many difficulties and obstacles he labored for forty-five years. He promoted every Christian enterprise which furthered the kingdom of God, and the many societies which he assisted with his word and counsel are his lasting monuments. He died March 1, 1865. Rautenberg is well known as a hymn-writer and preacher. After his death Sengelmann published Festliche Nachnige, a collection of 169 hymnological pieces (Hamburg, 1865); he also published Predigten (ibid. 1866). See Koch. Geschicile des deutschen Kirchenliedes, 7:292 sq.; Zuchold. Libioth, Theolog. ii, 1034; Lowe, Denkwirdifakeiten aus dem Leben u. Wirken Rautenbergs (Hamb. 1866); Hauclk. Theologischer Jahresbericht (1866), ii, 198 sq., 701 sq. (B. P.)