Johann Michael Friedrich Rückert (16 May 1788 – 31 January 1866) 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 ...
,
translator
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''trans ...
, and professor of
Oriental languages
Asia is home to hundreds of languages comprising several families and some unrelated isolates. The most spoken language families on the continent include Austroasiatic, Austronesian, Japonic, Dravidian, Indo-European, Afroasiatic, Turkic, ...
.
Biography
Johann Michael Friedrich Rückert was born 16 May 1788 in
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a town#Germany, city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding Schweinfurt (district), district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultur ...
and was the eldest son of a lawyer, Johann Adam Rückert, and his wife, Maria Barbara ( Schwappach). He was educated at the local ''
Gymnasium'' and at the universities of
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...
and
Heidelberg
Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...
. From 1816 to 1817, he worked on the editorial staff of the ''Morgenblatt'' at
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 ...
. Nearly the whole of the year 1818 he spent in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, and afterwards he lived for several years at
Coburg
Coburg ( , ) is a Town#Germany, town located on the Itz (river), Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Ernestine duchies, Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only ...
(1820–1826), where he married Luise Wiethaus-Fischer in 1821.
He was appointed a professor of Oriental languages at the
University of Erlangen
A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...
in 1826, and, in 1841, he was called to a similar position in
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 ...
, where he was also made a
privy councillor. In 1849 he resigned his professorship at Berlin, and went to live full-time in his ''Gut'' (estate) at Neuses (now a part of Coburg).
When Rückert began his literary career, Germany was at war with
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
; and in his first volume, ''Deutsche Gedichte'' (''German Poems''), published in 1814 under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
Freimund Raimar, he gave, particularly in the powerful ''Geharnischte Sonette'' (''Sonnets in Arms/Harsh Words''), vigorous expression to the prevailing sentiment of his countrymen. From 1815 to 1818, appeared ''Napoleon, eine politische Komödie in drei Stücken'' (''Napoleon, a Political Comedy in Three Parts''), of which only two parts were published. In 1817, ''Der Kranz der Zeit'' (''The Wreath of Time''), was published.
He issued a collection of poems, ''Östliche Rosen'' (''Eastern Roses''), in 1822; and from 1834 to 1838 his ''Gesammelte Gedichte'' (''Collected Poems'') were published in six volumes, a selection which has passed through many editions.
Rückert was master of thirty languages and made his mark chiefly as a translator of Oriental poetry and as a writer of poems conceived in the spirit of Oriental masters. Much attention was attracted by a translation of the ''
Maqama
The ''maqāma'' (Arabic: مقامة aˈqaːma literally "assembly"; plural ''maqāmāt'', مقامات aqaːˈmaːt is an (originally) Arabic prosimetric literary genre of picaresque short stories originating in the tenth century C.E.Qian, ...
t'' of
Al-Hariri of Basra (''Hariris Makamen'') in 1826, ''Nal und Damajanti'', an Indian tale, in 1828, ''Rostem und Suhrab, eine Heldengeschichte'' (''Rostem and Suhrab, a Story of Heroes'') in 1830, and ''Hamasa, oder die ältesten arabischen Volkslieder'' (''Hamasa, or the Oldest Arabian Folk Songs'') in 1846.
Among his original writings dealing with Oriental subjects are:
*''Morgenländische Sagen und Geschichten'' (''Oriental Myths and Poems'') (1837)
*''Erbauliches und Beschauliches aus dem Morgenland'' (''Edifying and Contemplative, from the Orient'') (1836–1838)
*''Brahmanische Erzählungen'' (''Brahmin Stories'') (1839).
The most elaborate of his works is ''Die Weisheit des Brahmanen'' (''The Wisdom of the
Brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
s''), published in six volumes from 1836 to 1839. The former and ''Liebesfrühling'' (''Spring of Love'') (1844), a cycle of love-songs, are the best known of all Rückert's productions.
From 1843 to 1845 he issued the dramas ''Saul und David'' (1843), ''Herodes der Große'' ("Herod the Great") (1844), ''Kaiser Heinrich IV'' (1845) and ''Christofero Colombo'' (1845), all of which are considered greatly inferior to the work to which he owes his place in German literature. At the time of the
Danish war in 1864 he wrote ''Ein Dutzend Kampflieder für Schleswig-Holstein'' (''A Dozen Battle Songs for
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...
''), which, although published anonymously, made considerable impression on audiences.
Rückert died in 1866, aged 77, in , now part of
Coburg
Coburg ( , ) is a Town#Germany, town located on the Itz (river), Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Ernestine duchies, Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only ...
. He is buried in the cemetery there.
Rückert's poetry was commonly set to music and there are about 121 settings of his work – making him the fourth most-set German poet, behind
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 ...
,
Heine
Heine is both a surname and a given name of German origin. People with that name include:
People with the surname
* Albert Heine (1867–1949), German actor
* Alice Heine (1858–1925), American-born princess of Monaco
* Armand Heine (1818–1883) ...
and
Rilke. Among the composers who set his poetry to music are
Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
,
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
and
Clara Schumann
Clara Josephine Schumann (; ; née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic music, Romantic era, she exerted her influence o ...
,
Brahms
Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...
(including ''
Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano
Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano (), Opus number, Op. 91, were composed by Johannes Brahms for his friends Joseph Joachim and his wife Amalie Joachim, Amalie. The text of the first song, "Gestillte Sehnsucht" (Longing at rest), is a poe ...
'', among others),
Josef Rheinberger
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (17 March 1839 – 25 November 1901) was an organist and composer from Liechtenstein, residing in Kingdom of Bavaria, Bavaria for most of his life. As court conductor in Munich, he was responsible for the music in the ...
,
Mahler
Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
(
song cycles
A song cycle () is a group, or cycle, of individually complete songs designed to be performed in sequence, as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online''
The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rarely a combination of solo songs mingl ...
''
Kindertotenlieder
(''Songs on the Death of Children'') is a song cycle (1904) for voice and orchestra by Gustav Mahler. The words of the songs are poems by Friedrich Rückert.
Poems and setting
The original were a group of 428 poems written by Rückert in 1833 ...
'' and ''
Rückert-Lieder''),
Max Bruch
Max Bruch (6 January 1838 – 2 October 1920) was a German Romantic Music, Romantic composer, violinist, teacher, and conductor who wrote more than 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a staple of the violin ...
,
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University Chu ...
, and
Elise Schmezer.
Memorials
A monument to Rückert is situated at Marktplatz in
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a town#Germany, city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding Schweinfurt (district), district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultur ...
. The monument of Rückert, whose birth house stands at the southeast corner of the town hall, has stood in the central square of Schweinfurt since 1890. It was created by architect Friedrich Ritter von Thiersch and sculptor Wilhelm von Rühmann. Allegorical figures from his works – ''Geharnischte Sonette'' ("Withering Sonnets") and ''Weisheit des Brahmanen'' ("Wisdom of the Brahmans") – are situated at the feet of the bronze Rückert.
Rückert is also commemorated by a small museum in his home at Neuses (now in Friedrich-Rückert-Strasse) and a park, ''Rückertpark'' which also features a memorial bust.
Literature
A comprehensive but by no means complete edition of Rückert's poetical works appeared in 12 volumes in 1868–1869. Subsequent editions have been edited by L. Laistner (1896), C. Beyer (1896), G. Ellinger (1897). See B. Fortlage, ''F. Rückert und seine Werke'' (1867); C. Beyer, ''Friedrich Rückert, ein biographisches Denkmal'' (1868), ''Neue Mitteilungen über Rückert'' (1873), and ''Nachgelassene Gedichte Rückerts und neue Beiträge zu dessen Leben und Schriften'' (1877); R. Boxberger, ''Rückert-Studien'' (1878); P. de Lagarde, ''Erinnerungen an F. Rückert'' (1886);
F. Muncker, ''Friedrich Rückert'' (1890); G. Voigt, ''Rückerts Gedankenlyrik'' (1891).
*
Hans Wollschläger
150px, Signature, 1988
Hans Wollschläger (17 March 1935, in Minden – 19 May 2007, in Bamberg) was a German writer, translator, historian, and editor of German literature.
Biography
Wollschläger is widely known as the translator of '' Ulysse ...
und Rudolf Kreutner (Ed.): ''Historisch-kritische Ausgabe in Einzelbänden'', Schweinfurt 1998ff.; thus far 4 volumes in 5 parts (as of July 2004):
** ''Die Weisheit des Brahmanen'', 2 volumes, 1998.
** ''Gedichte von Rom'', 2000.
** ''Liedertagebuch I/II, 1846–1847'', 2001
** ''Liedertagebuch III/IV, 1848–1849'', 2002.
** ''Liedertagebuch V/VI, 1850–1851'', Erster Band, 2003.
* Hans Wollschläger (Ed.): ''Kindertotenlieder''
993 also as ''insel taschenbuch'' 1545
* Hartmut Bobzin (Ed.): ''Der Koran in der Übersetzung von Friedrich Rückert'', 4th edition, Würzburg 2001.
* Friedrich Rückert: Firdosi's Königsbuch (Schahname) Sage I–XIII. Aus dem Nachlaß herausgegeben von E. A. Bayer. 1890. Nachdruck: epubli GmbH, Berlin, 2010
* Friedrich Rückert: ''Firdosi's Königsbuch (Schahname) Sage XX–XXVI.'' Aus dem Nachlaß herausgegeben von E. A. Bayer. Nachdruck der Erstausgabe. epubli Berlin, 2010,
(Details)* Wolfgang von Keitz (Hrsg.): Oestliche Rosen. epubli, Berlin 2012,
(Details)
In 1847, Rückert also translated select verses of the
Tirukkural
The ''Tirukkuṟaḷ'' (), or shortly the ''Kural'' (), is a classic Tamil language text on commoner's morality consisting of 1,330 short couplets, or Kural (poetic form), kurals, of seven words each. The text is divided into three books wit ...
, an ancient
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
classic, into German.
Notes
References
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
List of song settings*
Flyer on Rückert published by the town of Coburg (German)
Friedrich Rückert Obituary The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 185 ...
Monthly (1866)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruckert, Friedrich
1788 births
1866 deaths
19th-century German poets
German orientalists
People from Schweinfurt
University of Würzburg alumni
Heidelberg University alumni
Academic staff of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Academic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin
Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)
Translators of the Quran into German
German male poets
19th-century German male writers
Tamil–German translators
Translators of the Tirukkural into German
German male non-fiction writers
19th-century German translators
Tirukkural translators
Artists from Coburg
Morgenblatt für gebildete Stände editors