William Horn › Texts

Horn, William. (Germany, May 1, 1839--April 27, 1917). Evangelical. Come to United States in 1855, settled in Wisconsin. Licensed in 1861, ordained elder 1866, presiding elder 1871, bishop 1891. Editor of various Evangelical German-language publications, including Das Evangelische Magazin and Christliche Kinderfreund. Editor of German weekly of the Evangelical Association, 1883, Christliche Botschafter.

Editor of Evangelisches Gesangbuch, 1877, for which he supplied a number of hymns. His most famous hymn was "Pure and free from all corruption." He wrote 24 hymns in all, and has been called one of the greatest of the German writers in America. Translated many English hymns into German.

Retired as bishop in 1915.

--Robert S. Wilson, DNAH Archives

--Ellen Jane Lorenz, DNAH Archives

William Horn was born in Germany May 1, 1839. He died in 1917. He came to U.S. in 1855 and settled in Wisconsin. Licensed in 1861, he rose through the ranks of ordained elder and bishop. He retired as Bishop in 1915 and died April 27, 1917.

He was the editor of various Evangelical German-lanuage publications
including EVANGELISCHES GESANGBUCH of 1877, for which he supplied a number of hymns.

Of his twenty-four hymns the most famous, according to Ellen J. Lorenz, was "Pure and free from all corruption". He also translated many English hymns into German.

—Mary L. VanDyke for Dictionary of American Hymnology, Oberlin College Library (14 December 2003)