![MatthissonF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/MatthissonF.jpg)
Friedrich von Matthisson (23 January 1761 – 12 March 1831) was a German
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
, an early member of the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
Romantic movement. His best known poem is probably ''Adelaide'', which was
set to music
Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to:
Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics
*Set (mathematics), a collection of elements
*Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively
Electro ...
by
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
.
Biography
He was born at
Hohendodeleben near
Magdeburg
Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river.
Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...
, the son of the village pastor, on 23 January 1761. After studying
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
and
philology
Philology () is the study of language in oral and writing, written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defin ...
at the university of
Halle, he was appointed in 1781 master at the classical school
Philanthropinum in Dessau. This once famous
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
was, however, then rapidly decaying in public favor, and in 1784 Matthisson was glad to accept a travelling tutorship. He lived for two years with the
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
author
Bonstetten at Nyon on
Lake Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial lak ...
.
In 1794 he was appointed reader and traveling companion to Princess Louisa of
Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire and later a duchy of the German Confederation. Ruled by the House of Ascania, it was created in 1396 following the partition of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and finally merged into t ...
(wife of
Leopold III, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau
Leopold III Frederick Franz, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau (10 August 1740 – 9 August 1817), known as "Prince Franz" or "Father Franz", was a German prince of the House of Ascania. From 1751 until 1807 he was reigning prince of the Principality of Anha ...
). They visited
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
,
Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
, and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. For a time, they were joined in their travels by
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
author and salonist
Friederike Brun. After Princess Louisa's death in 1811, he entered the service of the
king of Württemberg
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
, was ennobled, created counselor of legation, appointed
intendant
An intendant (; pt, intendente ; es, intendente ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In ...
of the court theatre and chief librarian of the royal library at
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
. He resided for a time in Italy. In 1828 he retired and settled at
Wörlitz
is a town and a former municipality in the district of Wittenberg, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2011, it has been part of the town Oranienbaum-Wörlitz. It is situated on the left bank of the Elbe, east of Dessau.
The historic p ...
near
Dessau
Dessau is a town and former municipality in Germany at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the '' Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it has been part of the newly created municipality of Dessau-Roßlau ...
, where he died on 12 March 1831.
Writings
Matthisson enjoyed for a time a great popularity on account of his ''Poems'' (german: Gedichte; 1787; 15th ed., 1851; new ed., 1876), which
Schiller extravagantly praised for their melancholy sweetness and their fine descriptions of scenery. The
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition praised his verse as melodious and written with musical language, but complains that the thought and sentiments expressed are too often artificial and insincere. The 1905
''New International Encyclopaedia'' judges "his verse melodious and graceful, especially in rural description, but never strong." His ''Adelaide'' was rendered famous by
Beethoven's setting. Of Matthisson's elegies, ''Elegy in the Ruins of an Old Castle'' (german: Die Elegie in den Ruinen eines alten Bergschlosses) was still popular in 1911, and is praised by the 1879 ''
American Cyclopaedia
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
'' as one of his finest lyrics. He edited selections from the lyric poets of Germany under the title of ''Lyrische Anthologie'' (20 vols., Zürich, 1803–07). His ''Reminiscences'' (german: Erinnerungen; 5 vols., 1810-1816), contain interesting accounts of his travels.
Matthisson's ''Writings'' (german: Schriften) appeared in eight volumes (1825-1829), of which the first contains his poems and the other seven his ''Erinnerungen''; a ninth volume was added in 1833 containing his biography by
Heinrich Döring
Heinrich Doring, born Michael Johann Heinrich Döring (8 May 1789, Danzig/ Gdańsk – 14 December 1862, Jena) was a German writer, theologian and mineralogist.
He became known mainly as a biographer of the German classical writers, and espec ...
. His ''Literary Remains'' (german: Literarischer Nachlass), with a selection from his correspondence, was published in four volumes by F. R. Schoch in 1832.
Notes
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthisson, Friedrich von
1761 births
1831 deaths
German poets
German librarians
German theatre managers and producers
People from the Duchy of Magdeburg
German male poets
German-language poets