Emanuel Christian Gottlob Langbecker

Langbecker, Emanuel Christian Gottlieb, son of Christian Gottlieb Langbecker, clothier in his father's business, he entered the service of Prince Waldemar of Prussia in 1827, becoming his household secretary in 1840. He died at Berlin, Oct. 24, 1843 (Koch, vii. 39-42; Registers of St. George's Church, Berlin, &c).

His hymns appeared in the Berlin Wochenblatt, 1822, &c.; in his Gedichte, Berlin, 1824, 2nd Series, 1829; and in the Berlin G. L. S., of which he was the principal editor, and for which he compiled the biographical notices in the 1st edition, 1832. He also published various hymnological works, including his historical sketch Das deutsch - evangelische Kirchenlied, Berlin, 1830; the first critical edition of P. Gerhardt's Leben und Lieder, Berlin, 1841; Gesang-Blätter aus dem xvi. Jahrhundert, Berlin, 1838, &c.

One of his hymns is in English common use:—
Wie wird mir sein, wann ich dich, Jesus, sehe. Longing for Heaven. Founded on 1 John iii. 2. In his Gedichte, Zweite Sammlung, Berlin, 1829, p. 65, in 5 stanzas of 6 lines, entitled, "In prospect of Eternity." It was a favourite hymn of C. H. Zeller (q.v.) Included in the Berlin Geistliche L. S., 1832, No. 1922 (1863, No. 722). The translation is:—
What shall I be! my Lord, when I behold thee. A full and good translation by Mrs. Findlater, in Hymns from the Land of Luther, 2nd Ser., 1855, p. 56 (1884, p. 114). Repeated, in full, in Bp. Kyle's Collection, 1860; and, omitting stanza iv., in the Methodist New Congregational Hymn Book, 1863. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)