Philipp Jakob Spener

Most important priest of Frankfurt in the 17^th century

Name provider of the Spenerhaus is the famous protestant church reformer Philipp Jakob Spener (1635-1705). For a period of twenty years, between 1666 and 1686, Spener was senior of the Frankfurt preacher’s ministry and therefore the most meaningful priest of the town.

Father of Pietism

While in the preacher’s ministry, Spener developed a programme of reform for the lutheran curch with great impact. He is known as the founder of Pietism. Spener sympathised with the popular religiousness of the great awakening and tried to convey the issues behind it to the official curch.

Deaconry and Lay participation

The protestant church owes Spener for significant impulses concerning the welfare and social work. Due to him, not only priests are now involved with church life and theology but also lay people.