Stossgebet Fur Meinen Hammer

In German tradition, a Stoßgebet is a short, fervent prayer sent up in a moment of urgent need. Unlike a formal liturgy, it is spontaneous. When applied to a hammer, it usually happens in one of three scenarios:

Beyond the literal workshop, the Stossgebet für meinen Hammer has found a second life in modern German pietistic literature and psychotherapy. The Jesuit writer Alfred Delp (executed by the Nazis in 1945) used the phrase metaphorically in a prison letter: ”Mein Wille ist mein Hammer. Und ich spreche ein Stossgebet, dass er nicht das Falsche zertrümmert.” (“My will is my hammer. And I utter an ejaculatory prayer that it not shatter the wrong thing.”) Stossgebet fur meinen Hammer

Oh, treuer Gefährte aus Stahl und aus Holz,Du bist meines Werkzeugschranks größter Stolz.Bewahre mich heute vor krummen Nägeln,Und hilf mir, die Wucht meines Schlags zu regeln. In German tradition, a Stoßgebet is a short,

("Spontaneous prayer for Jens Lehmann!") The Jesuit writer Alfred Delp (executed by the

This is a perfect Stossgebet : short, physical, and directed at the moment of impact.

If you encountered this phrase in a specific book, song, or conversation, additional context would help narrow down its exact reference. Otherwise, it is a charming, original-sounding German coinage.

Oh, dear hammer, I beseech the powers that be: protect this noble instrument from the ravages of time and neglect. May its handle remain sturdy, its head unbent, and its striking surface forever flat. Grant it a long and storied life, that it may continue to serve me well, and perhaps one day, be passed down to a worthy successor.