Ein neu entdeckter Bullingerbrief aus dem Jahr 1544: Beobachtungen zu Bullingers Einfluss auf die Besetzung von Pfarrstellen

Abstract

In 1544 the mayor and council of Aarau broke with tradition and consulted Heinrich Bullinger in Zurich, rather than Berne, in a quest to find a sound Zwinglian candidate for a vacant pastorate. The subject of the inquiry was the young minister Johannes Haller. Bullinger’s hitherto unknown response to this request, providing information about Haller’s suitability, is edited in this article. Eventually, it was not Haller, but another young minister with a similar education, Christian Hochholzer, who was sent to Aarau. When in 1545 Augsburg turned to Bullinger to find a minister to strengthen the Zwinglian presence in the city, it was Haller who was chosen for this delicate enterprise. Despite all his adversities, Haller proved himself in this position, much as he did later when he was sent to Berne to unify a church still divided between Lutherans and Zwinglians. These and other cases illustrate both Bullinger’s growing importance beyond the confines of Zurich and how he tactfully and skillfully fostered such contacts and networks.