Weiss, Michael

Weiss, Michael a German divine, contemporary with Luther, was born at Neisse, in Silesia. When the Reformation began, the Bohemian Brethren were among the first to hail it; as early as 1522 they sent messengers to Luther to wish him success and confer with him on questions of Church discipline. One of these was Michael Weiss, who afterwards became pastor of the German branch of the Bohemian Brethren at Landskron and Fulneck, in Bohemia, and for their benefit translated into German the finest of the Bohemian hymns, adding some of his own. Weiss died in 1540. Of his own hymns we mention: Christus ist erstanden (Eng. transl. in Chorale Book for England, No. 58: Christ the Lord is risen again"): — Lob sei dem allerhochsten Gott (Eng. transl. in Moravian Hymn-book, No. 24: "To God we render thanks and praise"). (B.P.)