Christian Fürchtegott Gellert
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Christian Fürchtegott Gellert (4 July 171513 December 1769) 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 (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
, one of the forerunners of the golden age of
German literature German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...
that was ushered in by Lessing.


Biography

Gellert was born at Hainichen in
Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
, at the foot of the Erzgebirge. After attending the school of St. Afra in
Meissen Meissen ( ), is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden and 75 km (46 mi) west of Bautzen on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, th ...
, he entered
Leipzig University Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...
in 1734 as a student of
theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
, but in 1738 Gellert broke off his studies as his family could no longer afford to support him and became a private tutor for a few years.. Returning to
Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
in 1741, he contributed to the '' Bremer Beiträge,'' a periodical founded by former disciples of Johann Christoph Gottsched who had revolted against the pedantry of his school. Owing to shyness and poor health, Gellert gave up the idea of entering the ministry. However, he finally completed his
magister degree A magister degree (also magistar, female form: magistra; from , "teacher") is an academic degree used in various systems of higher education. The magister degree arose in medieval universities in Europe and was originally equal to the doctorate; ...
in 1743 and qualified as a university lecturer in 1744. In 1745 he established himself as a ''
Privatdozent ''Privatdozent'' (for men) or ''Privatdozentin'' (for women), abbreviated PD, P.D. or Priv.-Doz., is an academic title conferred at some European universities, especially in German-speaking countries, to someone who holds certain formal qualifi ...
'' in
philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
at the university of Leipzig, lecturing on
poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
,
rhetoric Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is one of the three ancient arts of discourse ( trivium) along with grammar and logic/ dialectic. As an academic discipline within the humanities, rhetoric aims to study the techniques that speakers or w ...
, and moral philosophy. In 1751 he was appointed
extraordinary professor Academic ranks in Germany are the titles, relative importance and power of professors, researchers, and administrative personnel held in academia. Overview Appointment grades * (Pay grade: ''W3'' or ''W2'') * (''W3'') * (''W2'') * (''W2'', ...
of philosophy, a post he held until his death at Leipzig in 1769.


Works

Gellert was esteemed and venerated by his students, and others who knew him, due in great part to his personal character; he was known to be unflaggingly amiable and generous, and of unaffected piety and humility. He wrote in order to raise the religious and moral character of the people, and to this end employed language which, though at times prolix, was always correct and clear. He thus became one of the most popular German authors, and some of his poems enjoyed a celebrity out of proportion to their literary value. His immensely successful collection of fables and stories in verse, ''Fabeln und Erzählungen'', first published in 1746, with a second part appearing in 1748, established his literary reputation. A comparably popular collection of
religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
poems and hymns, ''Geistliche Oden und Lieder'', appeared in 1758."''Geistliche Oden und Lieder''", in Henry and Mary Garland (Eds.), ''The Oxford Companion to German Literature''. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. p. 281. It contained hymns such as " Herr, stärke mich, dein Leiden zu bedenken", a Passion hymn written to the tune of " Herzliebster Jesu". Not a little of Gellert's fame is due to the time when he lived and wrote. The
German literature German literature () comprises those literature, literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German parts of Switzerland and Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, South Tyrol in Italy ...
of the period was dominated by Gottsched's school. A band of high-spirited youths, of whom Gellert was one, resolved to free themselves from what were seen as the conventional trammels of such pedants, and began a revolution which was finally consummated by Schiller and
Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
. Karl Philipp Moritz, in the context of his travels in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in 1782, remarked: "Among us Germans ... I can think of no poet's name beyond Gellert's which comes readily into the minds of the common people n London" The
fable Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a parti ...
s, for which Gellert took La Fontaine as his model, are simple and didactic. His religious poems were adopted as hymns by
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
s and
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
s alike. The best known of his hymns is " Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur" (“The Heavens are Telling”). Gellert wrote a few sentimental comedies: ''Die Betschwester'' (''The Praying Sister'', 1745), ''Die kranke Frau'' (''The Sick Woman'', 1747), ''Das Los in der Lotterie'' (1748), and ''Die zärtlichen Schwestern'' (''The Affectionate Sisters'', 1747), the last of which was much admired. His novel ''Leben der schwedischen Gräfin von G.'' (1746), a weak imitation of Samuel Richardson's ''Pamela'', is remarkable for being the first German attempt at a psychological novel. Besides lecturing to large audiences on moral matters, Gellert maintained a wide-ranging correspondence with both strangers and friends, especially with those seeking advice on moral questions."Gellert, Christian Fürchtegot", in Henry and Mary Garland (Eds.), ''The Oxford Companion to German Literature''. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. p. 282. Regarded by many correspondents as a teacher also of good writing style, in 1751 he published a volume of model letters, along with an essay on letter-writing (''Briefe, nebst einer praktischen Abhandlung von dem guten Geschmacke in Briefen'').


Editions and studies

See Gellert's ''Sämtliche Schriften'' (first edition, 10 vols., Leipzig, 1769–1774; last edition,
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, 1867). ''Sämtliche Fabeln und Erzählungen'' have been often published separately, the latest edition in 1896. A selection of Gellert's poetry (with an excellent introduction) can be found in F. Muncker, ''Die Bremer Beiträge'' (
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
, 1899). For studies of Gellert's life and work see lives by J. A. Cramer (Leipzig, 1774), H. Döring (
Greiz Greiz ( ; ) is a town in the state of Thuringia, Germany, and is the capital of the Greiz (district), district of Greiz. Greiz is situated in eastern Thuringia, east of the state capital Erfurt, on the White Elster river. Greiz has a large park ...
, 1833), and H. O. Nietschmann (2nd ed., Halle, 1901); also ''Gellerts Tagebuch aus dem Jahre 1761'' (2nd ed., Leipzig, 1863) and Gellert's ''Briefwechsel mit Demoiselle Lucius'' (Leipzig, 1823).


Translations

''Gellert's Fables and Other Poems.'' Translated by J. A. Murke (London: 1851). ''Fables and Tales by the German Aesop, C. F. Gellert (1715–1769).'' Translated by John W. Van Cleve (Lewiston and Lampeter: Mellen, 2013, ). "Jesus Lives! The Victory's Won" is a translation of Gellert's "Jesu lebt, mit ihm auch ich" (Jesus lives, I with him") from ''Geistliche Oden und Lieder''. It is set to the tune of "Jesus, meine Zuversicht".


Legacy

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
set to music six of Gellert's poems as ''Sechs Lieder Gellerts am Klavier zu singen'' (1803); the poems were all from ''Geistliche Oden und Lieder'', including " Die Ehre Gottes aus der Natur". Some of Gellerts poems became hymns, such as " Wenn ich, o Schöpfer, deine Macht". In 1857 Berthold Auerbach paid tribute to Gellert in his story "Gellerts letzte Weihnachten", published in his ''Deutscher Familienkalender'' (German family almanac); the story was translated into English as "Christian Gellert's Last Christmas", first published in 1869.Auerbach, Berthold. ''German Tales''. Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1869. The story is available as a stand-alone publication vi
Project Gutenberg


Notes


External links

* * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gellert, Christian Furchtegott 1715 births 1769 deaths People from Hainichen, Saxony People from the Electorate of Saxony German Lutherans German Protestant hymnwriters Writers from Saxony German Christian hymnwriters Academic staff of Leipzig University 18th-century German poets 18th-century German male writers Leipzig University alumni