Christian Schmidt was born in Dinkelsbühl, the oldest son of the city clerk. In 1791, he was ordained to the ministry and given the headship of the school and made school inspector in Thannhausen at Mindel. His was a singularly fruitful ministry in which he devoted most of his talent to the benefit of the young people. He was in the habit of using the hours from four until eight in the morning in writing for young people, this being the only time of the day that he considered his own. As a child of ten years, he was greatly impressed with the nativity scenes which had been built in the corridors of the state church in Dinkelsbühl and which he saw daily during the Advent season. The vivid recollection of this childhood experience resulted in the composition of this beloved Christmas song for children:
Ihr Kinderlein, kommet, o kommet doch all’!
Zur Krippe her kommet, in Bethlehems Stall,
Und seht, was in dieser hoch-heiligen Nacht
Der Vater im Himmel für Freude uns macht.
O seht in der Krippe, im nächtlichen Stall,
Seht hier bei des Lichtleins hellglänzendem Strahl,
In reinlichen Windeln das himmlische Kind,
Viel schöner und holder als Engel es sind.
O betet: du liebes, du göttliches Kind,