Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger
Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger (1752-1831) was a notable German poet and playwright known for his contributions to the literary movement Sturm und Drang. Born into a modest family in Frankfurt, he faced financial challenges that prevented him from pursuing formal education beyond the gymnasium. However, he became an influential figure among young artists, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who supported him in his early career. Klinger's dramatic work, particularly "Die Zwillinge," earned him recognition and a national prize, solidifying his place in German literature.
In 1780, Klinger relocated to Russia, where he achieved a successful military career alongside his writing endeavors. He was promoted to major general and later became curator of the Dorpat school region, further influencing educational development in the area. His marriage to Russian noblewoman Elisabeth Alexajef produced a son who tragically died in battle, deeply affecting Klinger and his wife. Throughout his life, Klinger maintained a freethinking stance that challenged contemporary societal norms, particularly regarding religion and feudalism. Despite facing censorship and opposition, he remained connected to German culture through correspondence with Goethe until his death, leaving behind a legacy marked by his dual pursuits in literature and military service.
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Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger
Playwright
- Born: February 17, 1752
- Birthplace: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Died: February 25, 1831
- Place of death: Dorpat, Estonia
Biography
Friedrich Maximilian Klinger was the son of police constable Johannes Klinger and his wife Cornelia Margareta Dorothea Klinger, née Fuchs, the daughter of a sergeant. He had two sisters, Anna Katharina and Agnes. Following his father’s death in 1760, his mother worked as a laundress and cleaning lady. Friedrich attended the Frankfurt Gymnasium until 1772, and earned money singing chorales in the homes of wealthy Frankfurt families. Klinger could not afford to attend university, but on Saturday evenings his family’s small apartment was the meeting place for the young artists who would form the Storm and Stress movement, including the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
In 1774, Goethe gave Klinger the money to study law at the University of Gie�en. Klinger abandoned his studies in 1776, and went to visit Goethe in Weimar, where they had a disagreement. In the same year, Klinger’s drama Die Zwillinge (the twin brothers) won first prize in a national drama competition, and Klinger wrote the drama Sturm und Drang (storm and stress) that lent its name to the literary movement. He then became resident writer for Abel Seiler’s theater troupe in Leipzig from 1776 to 1778.
Klinger wanted to fight in the American Revolution, but could not arrange the passage. In 1780, with a reference arranged by Goethe’s brother-in-law Johann Georg Schlosser, Klinger went to Russia. After accompanying the Russian Grand Duke Paul and his wife Maria on an extended tour of Europe in 1781 and 1782, Klinger embarked on a career in the Russian military. He was promoted to major general in 1798 and to director of the cadet corps in 1801. In 1802, Klinger was loaned the royal estate Druckenhof for life. He built up a six thousand-volume library there. In 1803, he was named curator of the school region Dorpat (now Tartu, Estonia), where he had many new buildings constructed for the university. During his first decade in Russia, Klinger continued writing dramas. During his second decade, his major literary work was a cycle of eight philosophical novels.
In 1788, Klinger married a Russian noblewoman, Elisabeth Alexajef, the daughter of Colonel Alexander Alexajef. Their son Alexander Friedrich von Klinger trained for the military, became adjutant to the Minister for War Barclay de Tolly, and was fatally wounded in battle at Borodino in 1812. Klinger and his wife were devastated by his death.
Klinger was ideologically ahead of his time. In a society where the monarchy depended on its serfs, Klinger was a freethinker, anti-clerical and anti-feudal. As Russia became more repressive in the restoration period, Klinger came under increasing attack from mystics who resented that he was keeping religion out of the university. He was relieved of his duties in 1816.
All written communications were subject to censorship. Nevertheless, Klinger’s correspondence was his lifeline to German culture. A letter from Goethe dated April 23, 1801, renewed their friendship and they corresponded regularly for the next thirty years. In keeping with Klinger’s wishes, his widow burned his papers and donated his library to the university. Klinger is buried in the Old Smolensk Lutheran Cemetery in St. Petersburg. After being central to the German literary movement Storm and Stress, Klinger wrote his most mature literary works while living in Russia and working conscientiously in other professions.