Merz, August

Protestant pastor, regional church councilor

Born: 11.11.1861 in Wehen (Taunus)

Died: 28.06.1936 in Merzhausen (Taunus)

Merz studied theology in Heidelberg, Leipzig, Erlangen and Berlin. After attending the theological seminary in Herborn, he completed his training in Wiesbaden in 1886 and was ordained in the Bergkirche. Further positions included pastor in Altenkirchen in 1887 and from 1900 in Erbach in the Rheingau with seven branch parishes. In 1902, he oversaw the construction of the Heilandskirche church in Walluf.

On October 1, 1908, Merz was appointed to the Ringkirche in Wiesbaden, where he founded a nurses' station and an association for social welfare and care of the poor in conjunction with the Paulinenstift in 1909. At the same time, he introduced the holding of church services for the hearing impaired. Even before the outbreak of the First World War, he founded an "infant school" for children from working-class families, as most kindergartens were too expensive. In January 1914, the Ringkirchen kindergarten was opened at Elsässerplatz 3; two more branches were added during the war because many soldiers' wives had to take up work. Through collections, he ensured that the bronze bells melted down during the war were replaced by the current steel bells, which were brought in and consecrated on September 5, 1920. As the number of neglected children increased in the hardship of the post-war period, Merz founded a diaconal central office and a Protestant welfare service. Merz endeavoured to set up a parish hall for the Ringkirche church, was involved in the purchase of the house at Klarenthaler Straße 2 and was responsible for preparing the new building at Klarenthaler Straße 22, which was only completed under his successor. He became the founder and chairman of the pastors' association for Wiesbaden and the surrounding area and initiated a pastors' death fund in Nassau.

On March 19, 1925, Merz was elected to the regional church council in accordance with the new constitution of the Nassau church. After founding a Protestant civil servants' association, which he headed for a long time, he retired in 1928.