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KURTZ, JOHANN HEINRICH (1809—1890), German Lutheran theologian, was born at Montjoie near Aix la Chapelle on the 13th of December 18o9i and was educated at Halle and Bonn. Abandoning the idea of a commercial career, he gave himself to the study of theology and became religious instructor at the gymnasium of Mitau in 1835, and ordinary professor of theology (church history, 1850; exegesis, 1859) at Dorpat. He resigned his chair in 187o and went to live at Marburg, where he died on the 26th of April r89o. Kurtz was a prolific writer, and many of his books, especially the Lehrbuch der heiligen Geschichte (1843) became very popular. In the field of biblical criticism he wrote a Geschichte des Alten Bundes (1848-1855), Zur Theologie der Psalmen (1865) and Erkltirung des Briefs an die Hebraer (1869). His chief work was done in church history, among his productions being Lehrbuch der Kirchengeschichte file Studierende (1849), Abriss der Kirchengeschichte (1852) and Handbuch der allgemeinen Kirchengeschichte (1853—1856). Several of his books have been translated into English.