Heinrich Christian Boie
Heinrich Christian Boie was a notable German author and literary figure born in 1744 in Meldorf, a town under Danish control that is now part of Germany. He initially pursued a career in theology but shifted to law for better financial prospects, studying at the University of Jena and later at Göttingen, where he became active in literary circles. Boie was instrumental in founding the "Göttingen Musenalmanach" in 1770, an influential poetry almanac that shaped the genre for nearly a century, establishing a significant readership among aspiring poets. He also took over "Das Deutsche Museum" in 1776, enhancing its status as a prominent literary magazine. After returning to Meldorf in 1781, Boie held the position of high bailiff and served as a royal commissioner under the Danish king, dedicating several poems to him. He married twice, first to Luise Mejer, who died shortly after childbirth, and then to Sara von Hugo, with whom he had seven children. Boie passed away in 1806 at the age of sixty-one. His contributions to literature and his role in fostering literary communities remain noteworthy.
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Heinrich Christian Boie
Author
- Born: July 19, 1744
- Birthplace: Meldorf, Holstein, Germany
- Died: March 3, 1806
- Place of death: Meldorf, Holstein, Germany
Biography
Heinrich Christian Boie was born in 1744 in Meldorf, a Danish- controlled town in what is now Germany. He grew up in Flensburg, where his father was appointed provost by the king of Denmark. Boie was proficient in English, Italian, and French and originally intended to become a theologian. However, he switched his career plans and decided to become a lawyer as a means of attaining greater financial security. He studied law at the University of Jena before moving to Göttingen, Germany, in 1769.
While in Göttingen, he wrote poetry and socialized in literary circles. In 1770, he was one of the main founders of the publication Göttingen Musenalmanach, which for nearly a century helped set the standard for the format of poetry almanacs. A rival publisher, Christian Heinrich Schmid, tried to sabotage the almanac’s publication by publishing another poetry journal, Almanach der deutschen Musen auf das Jahr 1770, before the appearance of Göttingen Musenalmanach, but Schmid’s inferior journal was no competition for Boie’s almanac. Boie’s acclaimed almanac generated a readership of young poetically minded students, one of whom, Johann Heinrich Voss, helped found the Göttinger Hainbund literary circle in 1772. In 1776, Boie took over Das Deutsche Museum, which he transformed into one of the best literary magazines of its time.
Boie moved back to Meldorf in 1781 to become high bailiff. He later was appointed royal commissioner by the Danish king, to whom Boie would dedicate several of his poems. He married his longtime fiancé Luise Mejer, who died in childbirth; Boie then wed her friend, Sara von Hugo, in 1788, and the couple had seven children. Boie died in Meldorf in 1806, at the age of sixty-one.