Hans Adolph Brorson

Who was Hans Adolph Brorson?

Hans Adolph Brorson was a Danish Pietist bishop and hymn writer.

Brorson belonged to a clerical family: both of this brothers were energetic and successful Pietist vicars. He began publishing hymns in 1732 while a pastor in southern Jutland. His most important work was Troens rare klenodie, which contained many translations of German Pietist hymns and 82 original pieces and went though seven editions in Brorson's lifetime. He was elected bishop of Ribe in 1741, where he remained for the rest of his life. His outward social success as a clerical administrator was contrasted by private sorrows but he resigned himself to his fate. Some of these problems are probably reflected in a second book of hymns, Svanesang, that was published posthumously in 1765. From this collection must be mentioned the still popular and hopeful funeral hymn Her vil ties

Almost forgotten after his death but "re-detected" during the romantic period Brorson is now ranked among the four greatest Danish hymn writers. His tune is not as strong as that of Kingo but in return he is more of a lyricist. Besides he is perhaps the first important Southern Jutland poet in Danish literature.