NEANDER, JOACHIM (1650–1680), German hymn writer, was born at Bremen. The family name, originally Neumann, had, according to the prevailing fashion a century earlier, been Graecized as Neander. After studying at Heidelberg and Frankfort, where he formed friendships with Friedrich Spanheim (1632–1701) and Philipp Jakob Spener (1635–1705), he settled at Düsseldorf as rector of the Latin school in Connexion with the Reformed Church. In 1676 he incurred church censure for abstaining and inducing others to abstain from joining in the celebration of the communion. It was during the term of his suspension from his teaching office that many of his hymns were written. He ultimately renounced his connexion with the separatists, and in 1679 returned to Bremen as one of the preachers of St Martin’s church. In the same year he published the Bundeslieder and Dankpsalmen, a collection of 71 hymns, of which many are still in use. He died on the 31st of May 1680. The Neanderthal, near Düsseldorf, takes its name from him. For his place in hymnology see Hymns.
See J. F. Iken, Joachim Neander, sein Leben und seine Lieder (1880).