Education
Born in Holzhausen am Hünstein (today Dautphetal), Trautwein studied theology in Marburg, Mainz and Heidelberg.
Born in Holzhausen am Hünstein (today Dautphetal), Trautwein studied theology in Marburg, Mainz and Heidelberg.
After several postings as a vicar in Königstein, Limburg and Bad Nauheim he served from 1963 to 1970 in positions involving him with the training of new ministers in Frankfurt am Main. In 1969 the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau appointed him as Provost for Frankfort. He would continue in this position until 1988.
He received his Doctorate of Theology in 1971 from the Universität Tübingen with a dissertation dealing with the changing form of worship.
After the end of his term as provost, Trautwein became the chairman and manager of the Frankfurter Bibelgesellschaft. He played a leading role in the planning and construction of the Bibelmuseum which opened after his death in 2003 on the Museumsufer.
During his time as provost two Kirchentage took place in Frankfort (in 1975 and 1987), which he worked tirelessly to organize. As editor of hymn collections he brought to German liturgy works from churches around the world and networked with the ecumenical movement to bring German music to the world stage.