Christian Friedrich Hunold
Christian Friedrich Hunold was a German writer born on September 29, 1681, in Wandersleben, Thuringia. He emerged as a notable figure during the transition between the Baroque and Rococo periods, becoming emblematic of the "gallant age" in literature. After the early death of his parents, Hunold received a solid education and pursued law at the University of Jena, where he also developed interests in language, sciences, and the arts. He began his literary career in Hamburg, where he wrote his first novel, *Die verliebte und galante Welt*, in 1700, becoming one of the first German authors to support himself through writing.
Hunold wrote under the pseudonym Menantes and created works that often explored themes of love and social transgressions, notably in his second novel, *Liebens-Würdige Adalie*, published in 1702. This novel showcased galant literature, characterized by its risqué portrayal of relationships that challenged societal norms. Despite his success, Hunold faced legal troubles that forced him to flee Hamburg in 1706. He later returned to his family's estate and continued to write, ultimately completing his law degree in 1714 and marrying Elisabeth Sophie Zindelin. Although he initially embraced the themes of gallant literature, he later distanced himself from these ideas, reflecting a complex relationship with his earlier works until his death in 1721.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Christian Friedrich Hunold
Playwright
- Born: September 29, 1681
- Birthplace: Wandersleben, near Arnstadt, Thuringia, Germany
- Died: August 6, 1721
Biography
Writing during the interim that bridged Europe’s Baroque period of the 1600’s and the Rococo period of the 1700’s, German writer Christian Friedrich Hunold became synonymous with the so-called “gallant age.” Hunold was born September 29, 1681, in Wandersleben, in Thuringia, Germany, of prosperous parents. His parents died in 1691, before Hunold turned ten years old.
Hunold’s inheritance ensured a good education. He went to elementary school in Arnstadt, where relatives lived. After studying at the Latin school in Weissenfels, he prepared for university at Gymnasium illustre Augusteum. There Hunold fell in love with Sophie Meister, sister of a friend Johann Meister. Hunold remained close with the Meister family throughout his time at the University of Jena, where he began studying law in 1698. His nimble intellect was fed by liberal studies in language, sciences, and history. The multi-talented Hunold fenced, danced, and played violin.
Around 1700, Hunold made his way to Hamburg. Unable to find suitable employment, he penned his first novel, Die verliebte und galante Welt, in 1700 and became one of the first German writers to support himself with his writing. To supplement his income, Hunold wrote for the Hamburg opera, produced poetry, and authored books on etiquette. He wrote under the pseudonym Menantes, a name he was purported to have taken from a character in an opera he had seen.
Hunold’s absence from Sophie left their relationship imperiled. A law school friend, whom Hunold had asked to deliver a love letter to Sophie, usurped him. Hunold believed Sophie had taken a lover when he did not hear back from her.
Hunold’s Satyrischer Roman, published in 1706, bore too close a semblance to performers he worked with in the Hamburg Opera. Hunold and his publisher were targets of libel suits and consequently, the writer absconded from Hamburg one night in 1706. Hunold found temporary sanctuary on his father’s estate in Wandersleben. In the short time he was at Wandersleben, Hunold wrote several nonfiction books. One such book Hunold edited in 1707 was Die allerneueste Art, zur reinen und galanten Poesie zu gelangen, a significant book on poetry.
Hunold ultimately completed his law degree in 1714. That year, he married Elisabeth Sophie Zindelin, with whom he fathered four children. Several of his musical writings were scored by Johann Sebastian Bach in the last two years leading up to Hunold’s death in 1721.
Hunold’s second novel, Liebens-Würdige Adalie (lovable Adalie), published in 1702, became the work that epitomized the gallant style and the gallant period. The novel laid out the love stories, infidelities, affairs of retribution, and the eventual reconciliations of its characters. Gallant literature was considered risqué because the characters acted outside the social and romantic expectations of the day, and relied on a secular, internal moral compass to justify their actions.
In his later life, after he had established his reputation as a nonfiction writer, Hunold repudiated many of the themes and motivations then-contemporary readers considered immoral.