George Michel Mangold
1822-1894
George Michel Mangold was born December 25, 1822, at Illkirch near Strasbourg
Mangold was a member of the Church that Froehlich was instrumental in starting which was called “Gemeinschaft Evangelisch-Taufgesinnter” (called Apostolic Christians in America) and was appointed elder at a Brothers meeting in Switzerland on January 1, 1847. He is noted for his work in assembling and writing of hymns for the Zion's Harp. He also wrote a book on prophecy entitled Meditations Upon the Past, Present, and Future. By 1847, Samuel Froehlich had been exiled from Switzerland, having his passport stamped as a sectarian. Since Froehlich could no longer journey to Switzerland, he ordained Mangold and two other young brothers for the purpose of traveling back and forth from Switzerland and Germany to France. Mangold's itinerant service is apparent throughout Froehlich's diaries. In the first two months of 1851 alone, Froehlich reports that Mangold (still unmarried and having already served as an elder for four years) made two separate trips to hold services in Baden and then visited brethren across Switzerland, traveling through Basel, Zurich, and as far as the eastern canton of St. Gallen. Mangold spent much time traveling to encourage the believers, visiting 45 of Froehlich's churches in a 4-year period: Froehlich had begun these churches, but was not allowed to return since he had been banned for "nonconformity to the State Church." Alsace, where Mangold grew up, and Lorraine, the area where Berange is located, were primarily ethnically German, but were part of French territory during most of Mangold's lifetime.
He was 19 years younger than S. H. Froehlich and was greatly influenced by him. The believers which gathered with Froehlich were using a hymnal which combined the Christliche Harmonika and Zionsharfe (1844). Froehlich admired this group of hymns. Mangold was 30 years old when he began gathering hymns for another hymnal to be titled "Neue Zionsharfe". This hymnal was intended to replace the hymnal in use and was printed in 1855. The Neue Zionsharfe was printed separately from the Christliche Harmonika/Zionsharfe, but 172 hymns from the latter were included. Also included were at least 26 hymns authored by Mangold himself. Over the next several years, Mangold collected and wrote a number of hymns for the Zionsharfe. Upon returning from a three-month journey, Mangold submitted his draft of hymns to Froehlich in March 1854. Froehlich carefully reviewed the hymns for doctrinal purity before proceeding to compile the Neue Zionsharfe. This same year George was married to Magdelene Blanck.
Mangold probably met Magdelene Blanck as he traveled to Berange numerous times in his ministering duties. They were married in the church at Strasbourg on Resurrection Sunday, April 16, 1854. Then on April 19, a civil marriage took place at Chateau Voue, near Magdelene's home. Mangold and his new wife moved to a farm called "Berange", which was owned by her father. This farm was about 90 miles from Strasbourg, a great distance from the other churches at that time. There, Mangold shepherded a small flock of believers for many years until coming to America in 1889. George Mangold did not serve as Elder in the United States but his son and grandson served the congregation at Roanoke. Mangold lost his faithful wife, Magdalene, in 1873. In 1883, he began keeping a diary. This diary contained a few words commenting on the day's events followed by a few rhyming lines to make a short poem fitting for that day. The entries of the last decade of his life give a glimpse of his personal life, his lingering sorrow over the death of his wife, and his continued faith in GOD. George Mangold passed from this life on November 18, 1894, in Roanoke Illinois and is buried in a cemetery in Fairbury Illinois.
Mangold was a member of the Church that Froehlich was instrumental in starting which was called “Gemeinschaft Evangelisch-Taufgesinnter” (called Apostolic Christians in America) and was appointed elder at a Brothers meeting in Switzerland on January 1, 1847. He is noted for his work in assembling and writing of hymns for the Zion's Harp. He also wrote a book on prophecy entitled Meditations Upon the Past, Present, and Future. By 1847, Samuel Froehlich had been exiled from Switzerland, having his passport stamped as a sectarian. Since Froehlich could no longer journey to Switzerland, he ordained Mangold and two other young brothers for the purpose of traveling back and forth from Switzerland and Germany to France. Mangold's itinerant service is apparent throughout Froehlich's diaries. In the first two months of 1851 alone, Froehlich reports that Mangold (still unmarried and having already served as an elder for four years) made two separate trips to hold services in Baden and then visited brethren across Switzerland, traveling through Basel, Zurich, and as far as the eastern canton of St. Gallen. Mangold spent much time traveling to encourage the believers, visiting 45 of Froehlich's churches in a 4-year period: Froehlich had begun these churches, but was not allowed to return since he had been banned for "nonconformity to the State Church." Alsace, where Mangold grew up, and Lorraine, the area where Berange is located, were primarily ethnically German, but were part of French territory during most of Mangold's lifetime.
He was 19 years younger than S. H. Froehlich and was greatly influenced by him. The believers which gathered with Froehlich were using a hymnal which combined the Christliche Harmonika and Zionsharfe (1844). Froehlich admired this group of hymns. Mangold was 30 years old when he began gathering hymns for another hymnal to be titled "Neue Zionsharfe". This hymnal was intended to replace the hymnal in use and was printed in 1855. The Neue Zionsharfe was printed separately from the Christliche Harmonika/Zionsharfe, but 172 hymns from the latter were included. Also included were at least 26 hymns authored by Mangold himself. Over the next several years, Mangold collected and wrote a number of hymns for the Zionsharfe. Upon returning from a three-month journey, Mangold submitted his draft of hymns to Froehlich in March 1854. Froehlich carefully reviewed the hymns for doctrinal purity before proceeding to compile the Neue Zionsharfe. This same year George was married to Magdelene Blanck.
Mangold probably met Magdelene Blanck as he traveled to Berange numerous times in his ministering duties. They were married in the church at Strasbourg on Resurrection Sunday, April 16, 1854. Then on April 19, a civil marriage took place at Chateau Voue, near Magdelene's home. Mangold and his new wife moved to a farm called "Berange", which was owned by her father. This farm was about 90 miles from Strasbourg, a great distance from the other churches at that time. There, Mangold shepherded a small flock of believers for many years until coming to America in 1889. George Mangold did not serve as Elder in the United States but his son and grandson served the congregation at Roanoke. Mangold lost his faithful wife, Magdalene, in 1873. In 1883, he began keeping a diary. This diary contained a few words commenting on the day's events followed by a few rhyming lines to make a short poem fitting for that day. The entries of the last decade of his life give a glimpse of his personal life, his lingering sorrow over the death of his wife, and his continued faith in GOD. George Mangold passed from this life on November 18, 1894, in Roanoke Illinois and is buried in a cemetery in Fairbury Illinois.
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The farm 'Berange,' where G. M. Mangold lived, worked, and preached. |
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