Biography
The Rev. Dr. Ignatius (Ignaz) Aurelius Feßler, son of Johann Georg Feßler & Anna Maria Kneidinger, was born on 18 May 1756 in Zurndorf im Burgenland.
Pastor Feßler began his theological training as a Capuchin novice in 1773, becoming a monk in 1774. He became a priest on 29 May 1779 in Mödling b. Wien. In 1784, he was a professor of "oriental languages" and Old Testament Hermeneutics.
On 10 July 1791, he converted to Lutheranism and served in a variety of professorial positions until 1810 when he was at the Alexander Nevskii Academy. In 1811, he was consecrated as Bishop in Borgå, Sweden. From there he went to Saratov in 1813 and to Sarepta in 1815. On the 25 October 1819, he was appointed as the first superintendent of the newly formed Lutheran Consistory for the Volga German colonies. He served in this capacity until 1933 when he retired to St. Petersburg. He died 3 December 1839 in St. Petersburg.
Pastor Feßler began his theological training as a Capuchin novice in 1773, becoming a monk in 1774. He became a priest on 29 May 1779 in Mödling b. Wien. In 1784, he was a professor of "oriental languages" and Old Testament Hermeneutics.
On 10 July 1791, he converted to Lutheranism and served in a variety of professorial positions until 1810 when he was at the Alexander Nevskii Academy. In 1811, he was consecrated as Bishop in Borgå, Sweden. From there he went to Saratov in 1813 and to Sarepta in 1815. On the 25 October 1819, he was appointed as the first superintendent of the newly formed Lutheran Consistory for the Volga German colonies. He served in this capacity until 1933 when he retired to St. Petersburg. He died 3 December 1839 in St. Petersburg.
Sources
- Amburger, Erik. Die Pastoren der evangelischen Kirchen Rußlands vom Ende des 16. Jahrhunderts bis 1937 (Erlangen: Institut Nordostdeutsches Kulturwerk Martin-Luther-Verlag, 1998): 311-312.
- Schnurr, Joseph. Die Kirchen und das religiö
- Schnurr, Joseph. Die Kirchen und das religiö