Johannes von Watteville Papers
Johannes von Watteville was born Johann Michael Langguth to Johann Michael Langguth and Anna Elizabeth Farbarius Langguth in Walschleben, Thüringen, Germany on October 18, 1718. He was educated at both the University of Erfurt and the University of Jena between 1734 and 1737. During this period, Christian Renatus von Zinzendorf (1727-1752), the son of Nikolus von Zinzendorf, introduced von Watteville to the Moravian Brotherhood. Upon leaving school, he joined the Brüdergemeine in Hernnhut sometime between 1737 and 1738 and settled into the Moravian community at Hernnhaag and Marienborn. He later travelled to Hernnhut to meet with Nikolus von Zinzendorf and developed a close relationship to the leader of the Unitas Fratrum. He was adopted by Friedrick von Watteville in 1744 and married Benigna von Zinzendorf in Ziest, Holland on May 20, 1746.; Upon his ordainment as a bishop on June 4, 1747 in Herrnhaag, von Watteville began to travel extensively to visit Moravian communities in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, France, Switzerland, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, England, Holland, and Germany, among others. Throughout his life, he would return to many of these sites. When Nikolus von Zinzendorf died in 1760, von Watteville succeeded him as the leader of the Moravian Church. He not only continued to travel throughout his life, but he also sat at many Synods and was a member of the United Elders' Conference. He died on October 7, 1788 in Gnadenfrei, Germany, present day Pilawa Górna, Poland. 4 folders A series of letters written to von Watteville during one of his visits to the Pennsylvania colony. The collection also contains two speeches written by von Watteville and accounts of his marriage and death.
Full Title
Johannes von Watteville Papers
Member of
Language
German
English
Type
Identifier
in box Small Collections 4, 17D PP WJoh
moravian-church_197
Record Origin
Converted from Dublin Core to MODS during migration from CONTENTdm to Islandora