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Wigand, Johann

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Wigbert, Saint

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a Lutheran theologian of Germany, was born at Mansfeld in 1523. He studied at Wittenberg, and was appointed pastor of his native city in 1546, superintendent of Magdeburg in 1553, professor of theology at Jena in 1560 (from which position he was discharged the next year), superintendent of Wismar in 1562, and again professor at Jena in 1569. In 1570 he accompanied the duke Johann Wilheltn to the diet at Spires, but after the death of the duke, in 1573, Wigand was expelled from Saxony. At the instance of Martin Chemnitz he was appointed professor at Konigsberg, and in 1575 he was made bishop of Pomerania. Wigand died at Liebemnihl, Prussia, October 21, 1587. He was an ultra-Lutheran, an ardent champion of Flacius (q.v.), and took part with great vehemence in all controversies of the time, persecuting with blind fanaticism any one who differed from him in opinions. At last he fell out with his own master, with whom he at one time labored for the establishment of a Lutheran popedom, and wrote against him. Wigand's autobiography is found in Fortgesetzte Sammlung von alten und neuen theologischen Sachen (Leipsic, 1738), pages 601-620, where a complete list of all his writings is also found; comp. also Zeumer, Vitae Professorum Jenensium, page 43 sq. Schlfisselburg, Oratio Funebris de Vita et Obitu J. Wigandi (Frankfort, 1591); Salig, Geschichte der augsburg. Confession, 1:639 sq.; 3:279 sq.; Arnold, Preussische Kirchengeschichte, page 346 sq.; Walch, Hist. und theol. Einleitung in die Religionsstreitigkeiten, 1:57 sq.; 4:100 sq.; Planck, Geschichte des protest. Lehrbegriffs, 4:195 sq.; Dollinger, Reformation, 2:476; Preger, Flacius, 1:82 sq.; 2:34 sq.; Frank, Geschichte der protest. Theologie, 1:97; Schulte, Beitrage zur Entstehungsgeschichte der Magdeburger Centurien (Neisse, 1877); Wegele, Geschichte der deutschen Historiographie (1885), page 328 sq.; Wagenmann, in Plitt- Herzog's Real-Encyklop. s.v. (B.P.)