Born: Trin­i­ty Sun­day, 1584, Al­fach (near Er­furt), Ger­ma­ny.

Died: Feb­ru­a­ry 12, 1640, Er­furt, Ger­ma­ny.

For a while, Al­ten­burg taught and served pre­cen­tor in Er­furt. In 1608, he be­came pas­tor of Il­vers­ge­hof­en and Mar­bach, near Er­furt; in 1611, of Troch­tell­born; and in 1621 of Gross-Som­mern (or Söm­mer­da), near Erfurt. Dur­ing the war, he was forced in 1631 to flee to Er­furt, where he stayed with­out a charge un­til 1637, when he was ap­point­ed di­a­co­nus of the Au­gus­tine Church, and, in 1638, pas­tor of St. An­drew’s church.

Sources

Hymns

1. Aus Ja­kob’s Stamm ein Stern sehr hier
2. Verzage nicht du Häuflein klein
   • Be Not Disheartened, Lit­tle Flock
   • Be Not Dismayed, Thou Lit­tle Flock
   • Despond Not, Lit­tle Band, Al­though
   • Fear Not, O Lit­tle Flock, the Foe
   • Fear Not, O Ye Little Flock
   • Fear Not, Thou Faith­ful Christ­ian Flock
   • O Little Flock, Be Not Afraid
   • Thou Little Flock, Be Not Afraid