August Bohse
August Bohse was a German author born in Halle in 1661, who pursued a career in law and literature. Initially studying at the University of Leipzig, he faced interruptions due to the plague and later worked as a tutor before completing his degree in 1685. Under the pseudonym Talander, Bohse gained recognition for his romantic novels, with his first published work, *Der Liebe Irregarten*, appearing in 1684. His writing from 1685 to 1695 was particularly prolific, often featuring plots revolving around the lives of upper-class society, typically concluding with happy endings. However, his novel *Schauplatz der Unglückselig-Verliebten* (1693) marked a departure from this pattern, presenting a more realistic portrayal of love and unhappiness, which challenged societal expectations of the time. In 1708, Bohse transitioned to academia, becoming head teacher at an academy in Liegnitz, but by then, his literary output had significantly declined. He left the academy in 1730 and passed away in 1740, having navigated the constraints of his era while striving to maintain his literary aspirations.
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Subject Terms
August Bohse
Novelist
- Born: April 2, 1661
- Birthplace: Halle, Germany
- Died: August 11, 1740
- Place of death: Liegnitz, Germany
Biography
August Bohse was born in Halle, Germany, in 1661 to a middle- class lawyer. At eighteen, he began studying law and rhetoric at the University of Leipzig, but an outbreak of the plague forced him to leave school before completing his studies. He moved to Jena and worked as a tutor to raise money before reenrolling at the University of Leipzig in the early 1680’s. After completing his education in 1685, he worked as a legal intern, lecturing throughout Germany.
Under the pseudonym Talander, Bohse wrote romantic novels of intrigue and liaisons. His first novel, Der Liebe Irregarten, was published in 1684. The period from 1685 to 1695 was especially prolific for Bohse, whose work became more political, with his plots often set among members of upper-class society. The plots of his novels typically ended happily for his characters. However, his more realistic, experimental work, Schauplatz der Unglückselig- Verliebten (1693), challenged cultural norms because the characters failed to achieve true happiness.
In 1708, Bohse became head teacher at an academy in Liegnitz. By then, his output as a novelist had considerably tapered off and he ceased writing. He left the academy in 1730 and died in 1740, having long outlived his literary success. Because he lived in a time when scholarly ambitions were the only acceptable literary aspirations, Bohse was careful throughout his career to mimic traditional romantic novelists, but one casualty of his caution was his inability to branch out into more innovative directions.