Georg Friedrich Rudolph Theodor Herwegh (31 May 1817 – 7 April 1875) 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 wr ...

,Herwegh, Georg, The Columbia Encyclopedia (2008) who is considered part of the Young Germany movement.

Biography

He was born in Stuttgart on 31 May 1817, the son of an innkeeper. He was educated at the

Gymnasium Illustre Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium is a gymnasium in Stuttgart established in 1686. History The school was established in 1686 as Gymnasium illustre (zu Stuttgart), seemingly honouring the Illustrious Gymnasium in Gotha, known by that name since about ...

of Stuttgart, and in 1835 proceeded to the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-W� ...

as a

theological 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 th ...

student, where, with a view to entering the ministry, he entered the

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

theological seminary. However, he found the strict discipline distasteful; he broke the rules and was expelled in 1836. He studied law for a short time, but decided to return to Stuttgart, and became editor of

August Lewald August Lewald (14 October 1792 in Königsberg – 10 March 1871 in Baden-Baden) was a German author. Biography Lewald was born at Königsberg. He entered the Russian service at Warsaw, as secretary, during the War of Liberation. He became an actor ...

's periodical ''Europa''. Called out for

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft ( conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) requ ...

, he had hardly joined his regiment when he became embroiled with a military officer with an act of insubordination, and had to flee to Emmishofen, Switzerland in 1839. His ''Gedichte eines Lebendigen'' ("Poems of a living man") were published in Zürich between 1841–1843 and immediately banned in

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

. The lyrics combined revolutionary sentiment with a popular style and soon placed him at the forefront of the Vormärz revolutionary movement.Herwegh, Georg (1817–1875). The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia (2005) The fervent effusions of his poems became immensely popular, so that when, after a short trip to Paris, Herwegh journeyed through Germany in 1842, he was greeted with enthusiasm everywhere. King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. gave him an audience, and assured him that he liked nothing better than an energetic opposition. But Herwegh overstepped all the bounds of conventionality in a letter to the King, and was hurried out of Prussia. At Zürich, he found no pleasant reception. But the king of Württemberg pardoned him for desertion from military service, and in the canton of

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS) ...

, of which he now became a citizen, he married Emma Siegmund, daughter of a Jewish merchant at Berlin. He next took up his abode in Paris, and wrote a second volume of ''Gedichte eines Lebendigen'' (1844). He also translated all of

Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869), was a French author, poet, and statesman who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolore as the flag of France. ...

into German (1843–1844). During the failed German revolution of 1848, together with a group of German emigrants, he led the German Democratic Legion in a military mission to Baden as part of the Hecker Uprising; with its defeat at Kadern, he had to flee to Switzerland once again. He lived in

Zürich , neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon , twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco Zürich () i ...

; after an amnesty he moved to Baden-Baden, Germany. Herwegh wrote songs for

Lassalle Lassalle is a surname, originally a Gasconic patronymic. People with the name include: * Camille-Léopold Cabaillot-Lassalle (1839-1902), French painter * Ferdinand Lassalle (1825–64), German socialist * Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (born 1954), ...

's Worker's Society and the Social Democratic Worker's Party. In 1877, ''Neue Gedichte'' was published. The most important work of his later years was the translation of many of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's plays. He died in Lichtental. While other poets such as

Ferdinand Freiligrath Ferdinand Freiligrath (17 June 1810 – 18 March 1876) was a German poet, translator and liberal agitator, who is considered part of the Young Germany movement. Life Freiligrath was born in Detmold, Principality of Lippe. His father was a teacher ...

gave up their radical politics later on, Herwegh never changed his radical outlook and his commitment to radical democracy. He was disappointed by and criticised Prussian nationalism and Bismarck's war against France and annexation of Alsace-Lorraine in 1870–71. In Herwegh's mind, poetry is a first step towards political action, it should however not be artless. Consequently, he—like

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lie ...

—defended

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...

References

External links

Website (in German) with a lot of information about the historical-critical edition of the poems and writings of Georg Herwegh
* *
Two photos of Georg Herwegh memorials at Liestal, Switzerland
(search - ''Suchen'' - for “Herwegh”) {{DEFAULTSORT:Herwegh, Georg 1817 births 1875 deaths Writers from Stuttgart General German Workers' Association politicians German poets People from the Kingdom of Württemberg People of the Revolutions of 1848 German male poets 19th-century poets German-language poets 19th-century German writers 19th-century German male writers People educated at Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium