Until now, hymnological representations were mostly conceived historically, as the history of hymns and hymns. There is a risk that attention will be shifted from the songs to their historical context, even if this is indispensable for understanding. This book takes a different approach in that it first takes a look at the songs themselves and examines them on the basis of their various design aspects: according to the linguistic form, according to the relationship between language and music on the formal and content level, according to melody types and musical elements linguistic, literary and theological criteria of linguistic form. The book is the result of many years of teaching. It refers to the German-language hymn repertoire with an emphasis on that of the Protestant churches, whereby, in contrast to earlier representations, both the Lutheran and the Reformed are dealt with in detail. The Catholic hymn tradition is included, so that the book can be used in the entire German-speaking area for teaching and studying.