Benedikt Dreyer was ’n kunstenaar en beeldsnyer wat in die eerste helfte van die 16de eeu in
Lübeck gewoon en gewerk het. Dit was ’n tyd waarin die Renaissance, Humanisme van
Erasmus en die Kerkhervorming oor Europa gespoel het. Dit was spanningsvolle tye van
oorlog, epidemies en ingrypende sosiopolitieke verandering. Sy vroeë kunswerke is in opdrag
van die Rooms-Katolieke Kerk, gildes en individue vervaardig; sy latere werk in opdrag van
die Lutherse kerkleierskap. Formeel weerspieël Dreyer se kunswerke die denke en teologie
van sy tyd, maar terselfdertyd ook ’n diep, persoonlike spiritualiteit. Die Graafskap Holstein
en die stad Lübeck is die konteks waarin Dreyer se verhaal afspeel. Hierdie bydrae fokus op
sy biografiese gegewens, sy kuns en die impak van die Kerkhervorming op hom en ander
kunstenaars. Foto’s van die kunswerke wat op permanente uitstalling in die Heilige Annen
Museum in Lübeck gehou word, is ook ingesluit. Die bydrae maak ook enkele opmerkings oor
Benedikt Dreyer as stamvader van die Dreyer-familie in Suid-Afrika. Dit maak sy verhaal meer
persoonlik en van belang vir ons kultuurhistoriese en kerklike verlede.
Benedikt Dreyer was a Late-Gothic woodcarver (Bildschnitzer) and sculptor who worked and
lived in Lübeck during the first half of the 16th century. It was a time of radical change. The
Renaissance, Erasmian Humanism and diverse Reformation movements transformed European society in every possible way. The ecclesial landscape changed irrevocably. It was a tensionfilled time, aggravated by religious wars and epidemics. This contribution examines the life
and work of Benedikt Dreyer in the context of the 16th-century Reformation and the effect the
Reformation had on art production.
The early artworks of Benedikt Dreyer reflect the ecclesial situation and theology of the preReformation era. This is clear from the subject matter, in the sense that Dreyer produced art
which included apocryphal legends and objects for use in Roman Catholic liturgy. His later
artworks reflect Lutheran principles in terms of liturgy and content, with a strong focus on
Biblical narratives and the centrality of Christ, which is typical of Lutheran theology. Dreyer’s
art not only reflects the context and theology of the time, but also a deep, personal spirituality.
The artworks which are on permanent exhibition in the St Annen Museum in Lübeck reveal
the exquisite detail, craftsmanship, artistry, emotional depth and spirituality of Dreyer’s art.
Photos of some of these artworks are included in this contribution.
Critics differ as to which artworks could be regarded as authentic Dreyer works. The different
opinions revolve around the questions of dating as well as the possible influence of southern
artists like Riemenschneider. It was common practice for young artists to travel and study with
masters in other areas. The research of Thiesen (2007) answered many of these questions. Her
detailed analysis of Dreyer’s technique and style as she compared them with those of someone
like Riemenschneider indicates some influence from the south. Thiesen’s research is not
repeated here. Rather, the focus of this contribution is on Dreyer’s biographical details, about
which there is also a difference of opinion.
At the beginning of the 16th century many artisans established themselves in Lübeck.
Goldsmiths, silversmiths, painters, sculptors, woodworkers and many others practised their art
in the city. Many of them had workshops in the area of the Horse Market. Many of these
artworks are still to be seen in churches, public buildings and museums in countries such as
Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Estonia. For some time,
Lübeck had been the centre of the so-called Northern Renaissance, which had developed in the
wake of Humanism, new scientific discoveries as well as socio-political changes, like early
forms of democracy and capitalism. Influential figures of the Northern Renaissance were
Desiderius Erasmus, Albrecht Dürer and Gutenberg. Before the 16th century the Italian
Renaissance had little influence north of the Alps. Northern art and science developed
independently of the south. The Northern Renaissance was also linked to the Protestant
Reformation. Many of the Reformation leaders were infused with the ideals of Erasmian
Humanism and learning. At the beginning of the 16th century the Italian Renaissance became
more influential in the southern parts of Germany, but to the north (Lübeck) the influence
remained limited. As a result, art production in the first half of the 16th century maintained the
Late-Gothic style. This disappeared only after the Reformation, because during the Reformation
the demand for art, especially in churches, declined dramatically.
Benedikt Dreyer’s life is described in the context of the 16th-century Reformation. By 1530,
the Reformation had spread through the northern parts of Germany and Scandinavia. It is a
well-known fact that the Lutheran and Calvinistic movements had a negative impact on art
production. The Reformation was a movement of education and books, telling the Bible stories
through the medium of words and print and not through visual images and art. As a
consequence, many artists lost their means of earning a living and they either left Lübeck or
changed their profession. The large number of properties sold by artists during this period attests to this fact. However, this did not happen to Benedikt Dreyer. He was appointed by the
Lutheran leadership to an official position with the responsibility to maintain the art in the
Marienkirche (Church of Mary) in Lübeck, as well as to build and decorate the new Reformed
pulpit.
Sources put Benedikt Dreyer’s date of birth around 1480, probably in Lübeck. His father and
mother were in all probability Hans and Cillye Dreyer. We know he had at least two brothers
(Jurgen and Hans) and a sister (Gretke). The three brothers were all artists, doing wood carving,
sculpting and painting. It is reasonable to assume that the father also earned a living as a
woodcarver, because the general practice of the time was that artisans transferred their
knowledge, skills and business to their sons. If that was the case, Benedikt would have started
his training as a woodcarver with his father at an early age. It was also common practice for
young artists to travel and visit other artists and workshops. Research points to the fact that
Benedikt Dreyer left Lübeck in 1502 for Lüneburg, approximately 90 kilometres south of
Lübeck, to further his training as an artist. He left for the Lüneburg Gesellschaft in the company
of Hans Witte, a friend from Lübeck. In 1505 he was promoted to Ghesellen Schaffer, which
meant that he had the status of Meister (master craftsman) responsible for the training of young
artisans. In the autumn of 1507 he continued his journey to the southern regions of Germany,
where he would have experienced something of the growing influence of the Italian
Renaissance. Thiesen’s research points to an extended stay in the vicinity of Ulm and Schwabe,
as well as a visit to the workshop of Tilman Riemenschneider in Würzburg. This conclusion is
based on a comparative analysis of technique and design. Thiesen is convinced that Dreyer
worked with Riemenschneider, because of similarities in their technique and design. This
sojourn in southern Germany lasted approximately three years. By 1510 Dreyer had returned
to Lübeck, where he was allowed to open his workshop as a master craftsman.
Shortly after 1510, Benedikt Dreyer married Taleke van dem Kroghe, the daughter of a wellto-do artist who owned two houses in the Horse Market area (no. 5 and no. 7 Pferdemarkt)
where most of the artists lived and worked. Benedikt and Taleke Dreyer lived in the
Pferdemarkt properties until 1535, when Dreyer bought his own house in Hundestrasse. The
fact that he could buy his own house in that period is quite remarkable. It was a time when
many artists found it difficult to survive and had to sell their properties because of the negative
effect of the Reformation on art production. The relatively good position in which Dreyer found
himself, despite the negative impact of the Reformation, is confirmed by his appointment as
Kirchenmaler (official church artist) to the Marienkirche in 1538. By this time the Lutheran
Reformation was well established in Lübeck, under the influence and guidance of the wellknown friend and confidant of Luther, Johannes Bugenhagen. This leads to the assumption that
Dreyer supported the Reformation movement, otherwise the Lutheran church authorities would
not have appointed him to an official position in the church. He also received the appointment
to build and decorate the new pulpit in the Marienkirche. The financial registers of the
Marienkirche (dated 1540) also reflect payments to Dreyer. The use of Netherdutch instead of
Latin in the church registers is also interesting. It points to the emphasis the Reformation placed
on the use of local languages and the opposition to Latin as the official language. The register
also mentions that Benedikt Dreyer had delivered artworks to the church. In the Netherdutch it
says that the “Beldesnider Benedictus Dreyer” delivered artworks “vor dat Münster”.
There is no record of the effect the 1517 or 1528 outbreak of the sweat sickness epidemic in
Lübeck (and the rest of Europe) had on the Dreyer family, although it is possible that some
family members could have succumbed to the epidemic. Benedikt and Taleke Dreyer probably had three sons, one of whom (Christopher) had been involved with the selling of the house in
Hundestrasse in 1555. It was also the year in which Benedikt died. Benedikt is in all probability
the progenitor of the Dreyer family in South Africa, as genealogical research has traced the
family roots back to 16th-century Lübeck.
The question could be asked why it is important to investigate the life and work of a relatively
unknown artist such as Benedikt Dreyer. There are several reasons for this. The first reason is
the growing interest in the role of art during the Reformation, as reflected in recent and
upcoming international conferences on the topic. The second reason is the growing interest in
a “history from beneath”, where the emphasis is placed on the role of common people rather
than on the role of famous and well-known leaders in church and society. The stories of common
people, those on the margins of society, are becoming more important. The reason for this is
not merely to find some alternative research objects, but because it deepens our understanding
of historical events. The history of the Reformation has been written so often by competent
scholars that it becomes a question of what could be added to the already existing body of
knowledge. One way of adding knowledge and deepening our understanding of the past is by
telling the untold stories. This in itself is a very difficult and complicated enterprise, due to the
limited sources available. It requires a multidisciplinary approach that makes use of resources
from various fields. In this contribution art history, church history, cultural history, political
history and genealogical research were integrated to tell the story of a relatively unknown artist
who lived and worked in a context of socio-political and ecclesial transformation in the midst
of wars and epidemics. Thirdly, Benedikt Dreyer is a character of interest in the genealogical
research on South African families.
