Johann Christoph von Ponickau

He was a counselor and chamberlain at the Dresden court of the elector of Saxony, who was at the same time King of Poland (Königlich-polnischer und kurfürstlich-sächsischer Rat). Ponickau was also head (Stiftshauptmann) of the Kollegiatstift Wurzen [de].

Ponickau was married to Eleonora Elisabeth von Bernstein. One of their children:

• Johanne Eleonore Caroline von Poickau, who married Friedrich Carl von Pöllnitz [de] in Altenburg on 14 December 1727.

Ponickau died in Pomßen on 31 October 1726 at age 74. A memorial service was held for him at the Wehrkirche Pomßen [de] on 6 February 1727, for which Johann Sebastian Bach composed a cantata, Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn, BWV 157, for which Ponickau had selected the scripture text on which it is based.^[1][2][3]