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On 1 December, Mar van der Veer MA (Musicology) will defend his PhD dissertation A Noble, Childlike Pious Human Being. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy In Theological Context Highlighted from his Letters in the ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Hall. 

The faith of the composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) has so far been subject to a considerable lack of clarity in literature. Although his Jewish parents had him baptized as a Protestant, Nazism emphasized a supposed Jewish identity, a notion that can still be found today. 

The path of Protestantism

Based on his 5,800 letters, published in the series Sämtliche Briefe (2012-2017), the expressions of faith of Mendelssohn Bartholdy have been investigated. Hundreds of quotes were brought together in a separate Appendix. A different picture emerges from these quotations than was previously assumed. His image of God comes to the fore in his candid statements about God. Although he had to deal with a number of ecclesiastical traditions, he consciously chose the path of Protestantism. 

A woman of faith

The theological and social world of the 19th century with which the composer had to deal has also been studied, as well as, resulting from this, the position he took in the discussion. Until now, a connection has often been made between the music of Mendelssohn Bartholdy and the Kunstreligion of Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834). However, such a connection does not exist. Rather, it was the catechist Friedrich Wilmsen who influenced Felix's faith choices. The influence of his better half, Cécile Jeanrenaud (1817-1853), has also hardly been recognized until now. In her, the composer got a woman of faith from the French Reformed tradition.