HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Johann Peter Hebel (10 May 1760 – 22 September 1826) was a German short story writer,
dialectal The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...
poet, Lutheran theologian and pedagogue, most famous for a collection of
Alemannic Alemannic (''Alamannic'') or Alamanni may refer to: * Alemannic German, a dialect family in the Upper German branch of the German languages and its speakers * Alemanni, a confederation of Suebian Germanic tribes in the Roman period * Alamanni (surna ...
lyric poems (''Allemannische Gedichte'') and one of German tales (''Schatzkästlein des rheinischen Hausfreundes''"Treasure Chest of Rhenish Tales"). Born in
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 ...
, Hebel entered primary school in 1766 and joined a
Latin school The Latin school was the grammar school of 14th- to 19th-century Europe, though the latter term was much more common in England. Emphasis was placed, as the name indicates, on learning to use Latin. The education given at Latin schools gave gre ...
three years later; he visited the schools in Basel during summer and in Hausen and Schopfheim respectively in the nearby Wiesental during winter. After the death of his mother in 1773, he remained at school, graduating with the help of friends from the ''Gymnasium illustre'' of
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
in 1778 and going on to study theology. He became a home tutor, an assistant preacher, an assistant teacher, a
subdeacon Subdeacon (or sub-deacon) is a minor order or ministry for men in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed between the acolyte (or reader) and the deacon in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...
and, in 1798, a professor and court deacon. Hebel was interested in botany, natural history and other subjects. His literary work began with ''Allemannische Gedichte'', which is perhaps the most popular work written in Alemannic. He had success with his calendar stories in the ''Badischer Landkalender'', and later with ''Rheinländischer Hausfreund'' (Rhenish Family Treasury), but a dispute between Catholics forced him to resign as editor of the calendar. In his last years he devoted himself increasingly to religion, becoming a
prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...
in 1819, but his wish to become a
parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
was never fulfilled. His last works were biblical stories for young readers, which served as textbooks until 1855. Hebel died 1826 in
Schwetzingen Schwetzingen (; pfl, Schwetzinge) is a German town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, around southwest of Heidelberg and southeast of Mannheim. Schwetzingen is one of the five biggest cities of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district and a medium-sized ...
.
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 treat ...
,
Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
,
Gottfried Keller Gottfried Keller (19 July 1819 – 15 July 1890) was a Swiss poet and writer of German literature. Best known for his novel '' Green Henry'' (German: ''Der grüne Heinrich'') and his cycle of novellas called ''The People from Seldwyla'' (''Die Leu ...
,
Hermann Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include ''Demian'', ''Steppenwolf (novel), Steppenwolf'', ''Siddhartha (novel), Siddhartha'', and ''The Glass Bead Game'', ...
,
Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; ; 26 September 188926 May 1976) was a German philosopher who is best known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. He is among the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th centur ...
and other writers have praised his works.


Early life

Johann Peter Hebel was born on 10 May 1760 in
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 ...
, where his parents were employed in a
patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...
household during the summer. He spent half of his childhood in Basel and the other half in the village of
Hausen im Wiesental Hausen may refer to: Places in Germany Bavaria * Hausen, Miltenberg, in the Miltenberg district *Hausen, Lower Bavaria, in the Kelheim district * Hausen, Upper Franconia, in the Forchheim district *Hausen, Rhön-Grabfeld, in the Rhön-Grabfeld dis ...
, where his father worked as a weaver during the winters. As he wrote in an autobiographical sketch, "there I learned early on what it meant to be poor and rich ... to have nothing and to have everything, to be happy with the happy people and to be sad with those who cried".Johann Peter Hebel
"Antrittspredigt vor einer Landgemeinde"
(Inaugural sermon to a rural community). hausen-im-wiesental.de (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2012.
Memories of both places had a deep influence on his literary work. Hebel's father, who had moved to southern Baden from the
Hunsrück The Hunsrück () is a long, triangular, pronounced upland in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the valleys of the Moselle-Saar (north-to-west), the Nahe (south), and the Rhine (east). It is continued by the Taunus mountains, past ...
area, died of
typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...
early in 1761, as did his younger sister, who was only a few weeks old. Hebel went to primary school in Hausen in 1766, and in 1769 went on to the
Latin school The Latin school was the grammar school of 14th- to 19th-century Europe, though the latter term was much more common in England. Emphasis was placed, as the name indicates, on learning to use Latin. The education given at Latin schools gave gre ...
in
Schopfheim Schopfheim is a town in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Wiese, 10 km north of Rheinfelden, and 13 km east of Lörrach. The town is the birthplace of Gisela Oeri, Max Picard, and A ...
, where his teacher was the theologian
August Gottlieb Preuschen August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named ''Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...
. During the summer months he went to a parish school in Basel, and later to the prestigious cathedral school (''Gymnasium am Münsterplatz''). His mother died when he was thirteen. In 1774, with financial help from friends, Hebel joined the ''Gymnasium illustre'' in
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
(now the Bismarck-Gymnasium), where he graduated in 1778. After studying theology in
Erlangen Erlangen (; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative d ...
from 1778 to 1780, he became a home tutor and assistant preacher in Hertingen,
Bad Bellingen Bad Bellingen (High Alemannic: ''Bad Bellige'') is a municipality in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is on the border with France to the west. It is in the German landkreis of Lörrach. The closest larger city is Müllheim which is a ...
, and was appointed ''Präzeptoratsvikar'' (assistant teacher) in 1783 at the ''Pädagogium'' in
Lörrach Lörrach () is a town in southwest Germany, in the valley of the Wiese, close to the French and the Swiss borders. It is the capital of the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg. It is the home of a number of large employers, including the ...
, now called the Hebel-Gymnasium in his honour. He became friends with the headmaster, Tobias Günttert, and through him met Gustave Fecht, Günttert's sister-in-law, with whom he had a long-lasting,
platonic Plato's influence on Western culture was so profound that several different concepts are linked by being called Platonic or Platonist, for accepting some assumptions of Platonism, but which do not imply acceptance of that philosophy as a whole. It ...
relationship and to whom he sent numerous letters. Hebel remained unmarried all his life, although in later years he adored the actress Henriette Hendel-Schütz. In 1791 he returned to Karlsruhe to take up a position as a deacon at the Karlsruhe Gymnasium, but was instead only named a "
subdeacon Subdeacon (or sub-deacon) is a minor order or ministry for men in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed between the acolyte (or reader) and the deacon in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...
". Apart from teaching, Hebel occasionally preached at court, where he enjoyed great popularity.


Later life

In 1798 Hebel became a professor and court deacon. He taught several other subjects in the Gymnasium, among them
botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
and natural history. He took a broad interest in botany; he maintained a
herbarium A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sheet of paper (called ...
and rearranged the botanical terms and diagnoses in ''Flora badensis alsatica'', written by his friend, botanist Karl Christian Gmelin. In his honour, Gmelin named a plant ''Hebelia allemannica'', though it was later renamed ''Tofieldia calyculata''. Hebel became an honorary member of the mineralogical society in
Jena Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a popu ...
in 1799, and three years later a corresponding member of the "Vaterländischen Gesellschaft der Ärzte und Naturforscher in Schwaben". In his youth he enjoyed the works of
Klopstock Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (; 2 July 1724 – 14 March 1803) was a German poet. His best known work is the epic poem ''Der Messias'' ("The Messiah"). One of his major contributions to German literature was to open it up to exploration outsid ...
and Jung-Stilling. Later he especially liked
Jean Paul Jean Paul (; born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, 21 March 1763 – 14 November 1825) was a German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories. Life and work Jean Paul was born at Wunsiedel, in the Fichtelgebirge mountain ...
and
Johann Heinrich Voß Johann Heinrich Voss (german: Johann Heinrich Voß, ; 20 February 1751 – 29 March 1826) was a German classicist and poet, known mostly for his translation of Homer's ''Odyssey'' (1781) and ''Iliad'' (1793) into German. Life Voss was born at ...
. Hebel lived in Karlsruhe until his death, but made occasional journeys to other regions. His wish to become a parish priest in Wiesental was never fulfilled, though he wrote an inaugural sermon for a rural parish in 1820. In this sermon he wrote, "to live and die as a pastor in a peaceful country town, among honest people, has always been my sole wish, up to this hour; it was what I wished for in the happiest and in the darkest moments of my life". Instead, he was "led higher and higher by an invisible hand, ever further away from my modest goals". In 1805 he was offered the
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
parish of
Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population o ...
, but he declined it at the behest of
Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden Charles Frederick (22 November 1728 – 10 June 1811) was Margrave, Elector and later Grand Duke of Baden (initially only Margrave of Baden-Durlach) from 1738 until his death. Biography Born at Karlsruhe, he was the son of Hereditary Prince Frede ...
. He was rewarded in 1808 with his appointment as director of the Gymnasium in Karlsruhe. In 1819 he became a
prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...
of the Lutheran regional church, a leading position that brought with it a seat in the Upper House of the Parliament (''Ständeversammlung'') of Baden. As a member of parliament he devoted himself mainly to education, the church and social policy.Oellers, ''Johann Peter Hebel'', p. 67. He later gave a speech at the consecration of the statehouse in Karlsruhe. Even though the Lutheran and
Reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...
regional churches of Baden merged in 1821 with strong support from his side, into today's Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden, his position as the prelate of the unified Protestant church was not endangered. Hebel's health deteriorated after 1815. In 1826 he travelled to Heidelberg and Mannheim to oversee school exams, and he died on 22 September 1826 in nearby
Schwetzingen Schwetzingen (; pfl, Schwetzinge) is a German town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, around southwest of Heidelberg and southeast of Mannheim. Schwetzingen is one of the five biggest cities of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district and a medium-sized ...
. His grave is there. Johannes Bähr succeeded him as prelate in the regional church of Baden.


Writings


''Allemannische Gedichte''

Apart from a few early attempts, Hebel's began his literary work near the end of the 18th century. After returning to Karlsruhe from a trip to Wiesental in 1799, he began to write ''Allemannische Gedichte'', inspired by a longing for his home. (''Allemannische'' is the spelling he used; normally it has just one "l".) The 32 poems "for friends of the rural way of life" were written in
Alemannic Alemannic (''Alamannic'') or Alamanni may refer to: * Alemannic German, a dialect family in the Upper German branch of the German languages and its speakers * Alemanni, a confederation of Suebian Germanic tribes in the Roman period * Alamanni (surna ...
, the local dialect of Wiesental. Hebel could not find a Basel publisher willing to produce the book in Alemannic, and the collection was only published in 1803 by Philip Macklot in Karlsruhe, after Hebel and his friends managed to collect enough advance subscriptions. The first edition was published anonymously, possibly because Hebel was concerned about getting a rustic image.Viel, ''Johann Peter Hebel oder Das Glück der Vergänglichkeit. Eine Biographie'', pp. 187–203. In ''Allemannische Gedichte'', Hebel depicts the local life and customs of his homeland, with topics ranging from a description of the river Wiese, through praise of the
Breisgau The Breisgau () is an area in southwest Germany between the Rhine River and the foothills of the Black Forest. Part of the state of Baden-Württemberg, it centers on the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. The district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, ...
area, to his work in the ironworks in Hausen. Perhaps the most famous poem is "Die Vergänglichkeit", a dialogue in
blank verse Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the 16th century", and P ...
about death, in which the father (Alemannic: ''Ätti'') tells his son (''Bueb'') a story based on
Rötteln Castle Rötteln Castle (german: Burg Rötteln), located above the Lörrach suburb of , lies in the extreme southwest corner of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, just 10 kilometres (6 miles) north-east of the Swiss City of Basel. The fortification w ...
, about how a glorious town like Basel will decline and likewise the whole world. Hebel also included his experience of his mother's death: the conversation between Ätti and Bueb takes place in a cart on the street between Steinen and Brombach, where Hebel's mother had died. ''Allemannische Gedichte'' was very successful, and a new edition was published a year later, this time crediting the author. When Hebel read the poems aloud to
margrave Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or of a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Emp ...
Charles Frederick, the duke praised them, and Hebel noticed his exact local knowledge: "I am surprised how the margrave knew all the villages, every small place, every shrub and hedge from Utzenfeld to Lörrach, and could always say: this is this, and yes, that's how it is." In the following decades, further editions were released in
Aarau Aarau (, ) is a List of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the capital of the northern Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Aargau. The List of towns in Switzerland, town is also the capital of the dis ...
,
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
and
Reutlingen Reutlingen (; Swabian: ''Reitlenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of June 2018, it has a population of 115,818. Reutlingen has a university of applied sciences, which ...
. Famous poets such as Jean Paul (1803) and
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 treat ...
(1804) wrote reviews of the poems. Hebel was elated at this success and wrote in a letter: "In certain moments I feel all proud inside, and as if drunk with happiness, that I could make our otherwise despised and ridiculed language so classical and give it such artistic fame".


Calendar stories

Hebel's second famous work is his calendar stories, which he wrote from 1803 on for the ''Badische Landkalender'' and especially from 1807 for its successor, the ''Rheinländischer Hausfreund''. This old Lutheran calendar was selling poorly in the early 19th century, and Hebel was a member of the commission appointed to suggest improvements. After several discussions, Hebel finally became editor of the new calendar, which was first released in 1807. One of the biggest improvements was to have more text, featuring "instructive news and funny stories". Hebel wrote about 30 of these stories each year,''Johann Peter Hebel: Wesen, Werk, Wirkung'', p. 40 and they were highly successful. The ''Schatzkästlein des rheinischen Hausfreundes'' was issued in 1811 as a collection of the most interesting of these stories. Further editions followed in 1816 and 1827. The calendar stories included news, short stories, anecdotes, comical stories and modified fairy tales. They were intended both to entertain and to provide moral education. The best-known of Hebel's calendar stories are "Unverhofftes Wiedersehen" (unexpected reunion) and "Kannitverstan" (I cannot understand). The philosopher
Ernst Bloch Ernst Simon Bloch (; July 8, 1885 – August 4, 1977; pseudonyms: Karl Jahraus, Jakob Knerz) was a German Marxist philosopher. Bloch was influenced by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Karl Marx, as well as by apocalyptic and religious thinkers ...
called the first "the most beautiful story of the world". There was a dispute in 1815, as Hebel's calendar story "Der fromme Rat" (pious advice), issued in 1814, was partially criticised by
Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
as being offensive, leading to its removal from the calendar. There he portrays a Catholic who prays to heaven instead of to the cross-bearing priest; the change can be viewed as a conversion of the Catholic to Protestantism. Hebel rounded off his story with the words: "The family friend knows to praise and venerate that, although he has never prayed to a rosary, else he would not write to the Lutheran calendar." Subsequently, Hebel resigned as editor and wrote far fewer calendar stories, except in 1819, when he wrote more than ever to make that year's issue of the ''Rheinländischer Hausfreund'' possible.


Bible stories

After the calendar stories, Hebel wrote ''Biblische Geschichten'' (Bible stories), a new school book for lutheran religious education. His criteria were that it should be clearly written and tell biblical stories in an exciting narrative style aimed at children from ten to fourteen. It took five years to write and was completed and released in 1824. It was used as a textbook until 1855.


Reception and legacy

Hebel's admirers include Goethe,
Gottfried Keller Gottfried Keller (19 July 1819 – 15 July 1890) was a Swiss poet and writer of German literature. Best known for his novel '' Green Henry'' (German: ''Der grüne Heinrich'') and his cycle of novellas called ''The People from Seldwyla'' (''Die Leu ...
,
Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; ; 26 September 188926 May 1976) was a German philosopher who is best known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. He is among the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th centur ...
,
W. G. Sebald Winfried Georg Sebald (18 May 1944 – 14 December 2001), known as W. G. Sebald or (as he preferred) Max Sebald, was a German writer and academic. At the time of his death at the age of 57, he was being cited by literary critics as one of the g ...
,
Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
, and
Walter Benjamin Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin (; ; 15 July 1892 – 26 September 1940) was a German Jewish philosopher, cultural critic and essayist. An eclectic thinker, combining elements of German idealism, Romanticism, Western Marxism, and Jewish mys ...
. Goethe, who tried to write a poem (the "Schweizerlied", Swiss song) in Alemannic himself, praised the ''Allemannische Gedichte'' highly. According to him, Hebel "countrified the universe in the most naive, graceful fashion". But on the question of whether he would translate Hebel's works, Goethe said: "Such a great poet should be only read in the original! One just needs to learn this language!" The
Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
also admired Hebel, and he met
Jacob Grimm Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (4 January 1785 – 20 September 1863), also known as Ludwig Karl, was a German author, linguist, philologist, jurist, and folklorist. He is known as the discoverer of Grimm's law of linguistics, the co-author of th ...
in Karlsruhe in 1814. German composer
Wilhelmine Schwertzell Wilhelmine von Schwertzell (1787-1863) was a German author, lieder composer, and folklorist who helped Wilhelm Grimm collect fairy tales. Schwertzell was born in Willingshausen to Luise Freiin von Bozenburg-Stadtfeld and Georg von Schwertzell. Li ...
used Hebel’s text in her song “Wächteruf.” Hebel's work reflects the links between popular culture and deeper ideas.
August Vilmar August Friedrich Christian Vilmar, German Neo-Lutheran theologian; born at Solz (near Rotenburg, 78 m. NE of Frankfurt) November 21, 1800; died at Marburg July 30, 1868. Early career In 1818-20 he studied theology at Marburg, only to learn doubt ...
, for example, praised Hebel's "Vergänglichkeit" (transience), saying that it gives the folk-like foreground a background not found in other poets who wrote folk idylls. Vilmar further emphasises Hebel's description of nature by the river Wiese, the poem "Sonntagsfrühe", and especially the stories of the ''Schatzkästlein'': "In their mood, their deep and genuine feeling, the liveliness of their imagery, the stories are unsurpassable, and worth a whole cart-load of novels".
Theodor Heuss Theodor Heuss (; 31 January 1884 – 12 December 1963) was a German liberal politician who served as the first president of West Germany from 1949 to 1959. His cordial nature – something of a contrast to the stern character of chancellor Ko ...
praised Hebel's use of the native Alemannic language, not only for parody and vulgarity, but also to make it "a true tool of the poetic craft", and according to Heuss he created a work that "resonates with the durable, the valid, the eternal, the eternally human". Later authors appreciated Hebel's work too.
Hermann Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include ''Demian'', ''Steppenwolf (novel), Steppenwolf'', ''Siddhartha (novel), Siddhartha'', and ''The Glass Bead Game'', ...
once commented, "As far as I know, in no literary history do we yet read that Hebel was the greatest German novelist, as great as Keller and more confident and purer and mightier in effect than Goethe."
Theodor W. Adorno Theodor W. Adorno ( , ; born Theodor Ludwig Wiesengrund; 11 September 1903 – 6 August 1969) was a German philosopher, sociologist, psychologist, musicologist, and composer. He was a leading member of the Frankfurt School of critical t ...
lauded his essay ''Die Juden'' as "one of the most beautiful German prose plays in defence of the Jews". In ''Die gerettete Zunge, Geschichte einer Jugend'',
Elias Canetti Elias Canetti (; bg, Елиас Канети; 25 July 1905 – 14 August 1994) was a German-language writer, born in Ruse, Bulgaria to a Sephardic family. They moved to Manchester, England, but his father died in 1912, and his mother took her t ...
described the influence that Hebel's ''Schatzkästlein'' had on him: "I never wrote a book, but that I did not secretly aspire to his style, and I began by writing everything in shorthand, the knowledge of which I owe to him alone."
Marcel Reich-Ranicki Marcel Reich-Ranicki (; 2 June 1920 – 18 September 2013) was a Polish-born German literary critic and member of the informal literary association Gruppe 47. He was regarded as one of the most influential contemporary literary critics in the fi ...
wrote, "Hebel's stories are among the most beautiful in the German language", and included the "Schatzkästlein" and "Die Rose" in his ''Kanon Deutscher Literatur''. The first was also listed in the ''ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher''. The
Johann-Peter-Hebel-Preis The Johann-Peter-Hebel-Preis was endowed in 1936 in honour of the writer and dialectal poet Johann Peter Hebel. The prize is since 1974 awarded every two years (before every year) to writers, translators, essayists, media representatives or scient ...
was endowed in 1936 in honour of Hebel. The 10,000-euro prize is awarded every two years to writers, translators, essayists, media representatives or scientists from the German district of
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
who write in Alemannic or are connected with Hebel. The prizegiving ceremony takes place in Hausen im Wiesental, which is also home to the Hebelfest every 10 May. The community of Hausen also awards the annual
Johann-Peter-Hebel-Plakette Johann-Peter-Hebel-Plakette is a literary prize, awarded annually since 1960, by the community of Hausen im Wiesental in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The prize is given in memory of Johann Peter Hebel, on the Saturday before 10 May each year. Wi ...
to personalities from the
Upper Rhine The Upper Rhine (german: Oberrhein ; french: Rhin Supérieur) is the section of the Rhine between Basel in Switzerland and Bingen in Germany, surrounded by the Upper Rhine Plain. The river is marked by Rhine-kilometres 170 to 529 (the sc ...
. The Lörracher Pädagogium was renamed the Hebel-Gymnasium in 1926. Several ''Gymnasien'' in
Pforzheim Pforzheim () is a city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany. It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the nickname "Goldstadt" ("Golden City") ...
and Schwetzingen were named after him. Basic schools, in Essen, Berlin and especially Südbaden bear his name, as do numerous German streets. Monuments to Hebel are found in the
Karlsruhe Palace Karlsruhe Palace (german: Karlsruher Schloss) was built in 1715 for Margrave Charles III William of Baden-Durlach after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital, Durlach. The city of Karlsruhe has since grown around it. The building is ...
, in Basel, Hausen and in the Hebelpark Lörrach. The Hebelbund Lörrach, Müllheim and the Basler Hebelstiftung are dedicated to his life and work.


Bibliography

* ''Allemannische Gedichte. Für Freunde ländlicher Natur und Sitten''. Karlsruhe, 1803, anonymous (second edition in 1804 with author statement) ** ''Allemannische Gedichte. Für Freunde ländlicher Natur und Sitten. Poésies Alémaniques. Pour les amis de la nuture et des mœurs rurales'' translation by Raymond Matzen. Alemannic/French bilingual edition,
Kehl am Rhein Kehl (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kaal) is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg, with which it shares some municipal servicesfor exam ...
: Morstadt Verlag 2010, * ''Der Rheinländische Hausfreund''. Calendar stories for the years 1803–1811 ** ''Kalendergeschichten''. Carl Hanser, Munich 1999 * ''Schatzkästlein des rheinischen Hausfreundes''. Cotta, Stuttgart 1811 (compilation of the ''Kalendergeschichten'' with a few omissions and alterations) ** ''Aus dem Schatzkästlein des Rheinischen Hausfreundes.'' With illustrations by K. F. Schulz. Furth im Wald: Vitalis 2001, . * ''Biblische Geschichten. Für die Jugend bearbeitet''. Cotta, Stuttgart 1824 * ''Briefe''. Herausgeber Wilhelm Zentner, 2 issues. Müller, Karlsruhe 1957 * ''Poetische Werke. Nach den Ausgaben letzter Hand und der Gesamtausgabe von 1834 unter Hinzuziehung der früheren Fassungen.'' Winkler, Munich 1961 * ''Excerpthefte'', issued by Hans-Georg Schmidt-Bergmann and Julie Freifrau Haller von Gaertingen, Schriften des Museums für Literatur am Oberrhein, Karlsruhe 2010,


References


Sources

* * (in German) Wilhelm Altwegg: ''Johann Peter Hebel'', Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld and Leipzig 1935 * (in German) Basler Hebelstiftung: ''Johann Peter Hebel: Wesen, Werk, Wirkung''. GS-Verlag, Basel 1990, . * (in German) Richard Faber: ''Lebendige Tradition und antizipierte Moderne. Über Johann Peter Hebel''. Verlag Königshausen und Neumann, Würzburg 2004. . * (in German) Heide Helwig: ''Johann Peter Hebel. Biographie''. Hanser-Verlag, Munich 2010, . * (in German) Franz Littmann: ''Johann Peter Hebel. Humanität und Lebensklugheit für jedermann''. Sutton-Verlag, Erfurt 2008, . * (in German) Ralph Ludwig: ''Der Erzähler. Wie Johann Peter Hebel ein literarisches Schatzkästlein schuf''. Wichern-Verlag, Berlin 2010, . * (in German) Norbert Oellers: "Johann Peter Hebel" in Benno von Wiese's: ''Deutsche Dichter der Romantik'', 2., überarbeitete Auflage, pp. 57–87, Berlin, 1983 * (in German) Carl Pietzcker: ''zu Hause, aber daheim nicht. Hebelstudien''. Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg 2010, . * (in German) Hansgeorg Schmidt-Bergmann and Franz Littmann: ''Johann Peter Hebel- Glück und Verstand: Minutenlektüren'', Hoffmann & Campe, Hamburg 2009, . * (in German) Wilfried Setzler: ''Mit Johann Peter Hebel von Ort zu Ort: Lebensstationen des Dichters in Baden-Württemberg.'' Silberburg-Verlag, Tübingen 2010, . * (in German) Rainer Wunderlich Verlag: ''Über Johann Peter Hebel'', Rainer Wunderlich Verlag, Tübingen 1964 * (in German) Bernhard Viel: ''Johann Peter Hebel oder Das Glück der Vergänglichkeit. Eine Biographie''. C. H. Beck, Munich 2010, .


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hebel, Johann Peter 1760 births 1826 deaths Writers from Basel-Stadt 18th-century German poets Members of the First Chamber of the Diet of the Grand Duchy of Baden German male poets 19th-century German poets 19th-century German male writers 18th-century German Lutheran clergy 18th-century German male writers 19th-century German Lutheran clergy