August Harder
August Harder (17 July 1775 – 22 October 1813) was a German musician, composer and writer. He is known for the melody to Paul Gerhardt's sacred summer song "Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud". Born Augustin Harder in Schönerstädt near Leisnig, Saxony, he grew up as the son of the village teacher, receiving the first music lessons from his father.
Also recorded as Augustin Harder
August Harder

Paul Gerhardt · [1] · Public domain
- Name
- August Harder
- Birth Name
- Augustin Harder
- Born
- 17 July 1775
- Birthplace
- Schönerstädt near Leisnig
- Died
- 22 October 1813
- Place of death
- Munich
- Occupation
- * Musician
- Languages
- German
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August Harder (17 July 1775 – 22 October 1813) was a German musician, composer and writer. He is known for the melody to Paul Gerhardt's sacred summer song "Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud". Born Augustin Harder in Schönerstädt near Leisnig, Saxony, he grew up as the son of the village teacher, receiving the first music lessons from his father.
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Biography
Biography
He attended a gymnasium Dresden, and then studied theology at the Leipzig University. He gave private music lessons to make a living. He dropped out of theology to pursue music, his vocation. He worked as a freelance musician, as singer, pianist, guitarist, also as a composer, writer and teacher. He died there on 22 October 1813. Harder composed singable melodies, of which the one to Paul Gerhardt's sacred summer song "Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud" was of lasting popularity. Although church musicians disliked its melismas and merry character, and tried various other melodies with the text in hymnals, it is now part of the Protestant German hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch of 1993, as EG 503.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — August Harder • Birth Name — Augustin Harder • Born — 17 July 1775 • Birthplace — Schönerstädt near Leisnig • Died — 22 October 1813 • Place of death — Munich • Occupation — * Musician • Composer • Writer • Music teacher • Organizations — Society of Jesus
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Hartha.
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Leipzig.
Death place
Literature
* • Matthias Werner: Harder, August. In: Wolfgang Herbst: Wer ist wer im Gesangbuch? Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2001, S. 131 f. (b_aO9wVNulYC).
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- 1.„Am 19. October 1813, als Leipzig von den Alliirten genommen wurde, lag er gerade am Nervenfieber krank, doch nicht gefährlich. Da er aber einem der Hauptpunkte der Anstürmenden ziemlich nahe wohnte, so wirkte der Tumult so heftig auf ihn ein, daß sein Leiden sich verschlimmerte und er einige Tage darauf starb.“ Emil Kneschke: Zur Geschichte des Theaters und der Musik in Leipzig. Friedrich Fleischer, Leipzig 1864, S. 322f. ( )
- 2.Text
- 3.Höltys Gedicht hat ein anderes, nicht symmetrisches Versmaß. Friedrich Eickhoff (1807–1886), der die Melodie mit Gerhardts Text zusammenbrachte, fügte die Wiederholung der vierten Melodiezeile ein ( ).
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 21 August 2026.
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