{The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge} Story Time with Sarah: Emilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt

Emilie Juliane (sometimes alternatively spelled Ämilie or Aemilie; 1637—1706) was a devout Lutheran lady, Countess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt — and one of the most prolific of all German female hymn-writers, with almost 600 hymns attributed to her authorship.

In this Story Time episode, Sarah delves into the now-relatively-obscure life of one of 17th century Lutheranism’s most noteworthy women, beginning with her tragic and turbulent childhood during the Thirty Years’ War and continuing through her early orphanhood, her close relationship with her cousins (one of whom became her best friend and fellow #hymnnerd, another of whom she married), and the loss of her only daughter.

The episode ends with a discussion of the several English translations of her hymns included in recent LCMS hymnals: “Once in the Blest Baptismal Waters” (LSB 598), “Who Knows When Death May Overtake Me” (TLH 598), “The Lord Hath Helped Me Hitherto, By His Surpassing Favor” (TLH 33), “God Brought Me to This Time and Place” (LW 456).

To learn more about Emilie Juliane, check out Judith P. Aikin’s biography A Ruler’s Consort in Early Modern Germany: Aemilia Juliana of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. For more about the lives of beloved hymnwriters, check out Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns or Eternal Anthems: The Story Behind Your Favorite Hymns, Volume 2, both available from CPH.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske) on Instagram!

The Lutheran Ladies Lounge is the podcast produced by KFUO Radio and hosted by Sarah Gulseth, Erin Alter, Rachel Bomberger, and Bri Gerzevske. Created for Lutheran ladies to have a place to escape to with inviting conversations, laughter, and fellowship with Lutheran sisters, we invite all of you Lutheran ladies to join Sarah, Erin, Rachel, and Bri on the sofa in the Lutheran Ladies Lounge to sit, rest your feet, and stay a while. If you’re a Lutheran lady, join us in our Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge.

Sarah Gulseth

A proud Michigan native and fan of anything with the Mitten State on it, Digital Media Manager Sarah Gulseth is also a lover of historical war movies and anything with the label PBS Masterpiece. An avid bicyclist and women’s biking advocate, she rides her bike to work year-round and has the massive bike clothing and accessory collection to prove it. If it’s the weekend, she and her husband Luther are probably out riding bikes, or finding the next awesome coffee shop to frequent, or rehearsing for the next choir concert. You may also find her down a new rabbit hole on Google, researching the latest random fact she found on social media, while eating an unhealthy amount of apples (Macintosh from Michigan, of course) and raw almond butter.