Johannes Crüger
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Born in Guben in 1598. A child prodigy who was engaged as a young man as tutor to the children of the von Blumenthal Family in Berlin (one of whom, Joachim Friedrich, became in effect the Great Elector's prime minister). He became director of music at the Nikolaikirche, and composed two famous melodies: one, known in Germany as the Leuthen Chorale, is better known to English speakers as Now thank we all our God; the other was reused by Bach for the hymn O sacred head sore wounded. He died in Berlin in 1662.
