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Dietrich, or Dieterich, Veit

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Dietrich, Franz Eduard Christoph

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(Vitus Theodorus, or Theodoricus), was born in 1506 at Nuremberg. He studied at Wittenberg, where he attracted the attention of Luther, and became his amanuensis and companion. Luther took him to the conferences of Marburg (1529), Coburg, and the Imperial Diet of Augsburg (1530). He afterwards became assistant professor in the theological faculty at Wittenberg, and in 1535 returned to Nuremberg, where he became preacher at St. Sebaldus' church, which position he retained, notwithstanding the offer of professorships in the universities of Wittenberg and Leipsic, until his death March 24, 1549. From 1534 to 1549 he was in active correspondence with Luther, Melancthon, and the other leaders of Protestantism. He was more radically Lutheran than Melancthon. Dietrich had also some fiery discussions with Osiander on the subject of absolution. During the latter part of his life he was sorely afflicted by the state of the Church, being even suspended for a while in 1547 on account of his independence of expression. Besides editing and publishing translations of a number of the works of Luther and Melancthon, he wrote a number of sermons; an Enarratio Lutheri in prophetam Micham; Agendbuchleinffir d. Pfarrherrn auf dem Land (1543- 1639; last ed. 1755). In 1548, while ill, he wrote a systematic exposition of the book of the prophet Isaiah, and contemplated doing the same for the other prophets, but was prevented by death. The Epistola theologorum Norimbergensium ad D. Rupertum (1439), generally ascribed to him, was written by Osiander. Dietrich also composed several hymns. See, in the Corpus Reformatorum, the correspondence between Melancthon, Cruciger, and Dietrich (1537-1549); Strobel, Nachricht v. d. Leben u. d. Schriften V. Dietrichs (Nurnberg, 1772); Herzog, Real-Encyklopadie, 3:389.