Heinrich Zschokke
Johann Heinrich Daniel Zschokke was a notable political leader and fiction writer born in 1771 in Magdeburg, Prussia. Orphaned early in life, he faced a challenging childhood marked by neglect, which fueled his love for reading and writing as a means of escape. After gaining emancipation from his brother, Zschokke excelled academically, eventually attending the University of Frankfurt, where he began to gain recognition for his literary works, including his acclaimed novel "Abällino, der grosse Bandit." His journey took him to Switzerland, where he became a director at a monastery and later a political figure advocating for the Helvetic Republic during turbulent times. Zschokke is credited with significant contributions to Swiss democracy, notably through his role in signing the Treaty of Lunéville, which affirmed Switzerland's self-governance. Later, he served in Aarau's Grand Council, promoting democratic ideals and establishing initiatives for education, including support for impoverished students and the hearing impaired. In his later years, he published works that combined entertainment with moral lessons, like "Die Brannteweinpest," addressing issues such as alcohol abuse. Zschokke died in 1848, the same year Switzerland adopted its constitution, fulfilling his vision of a democratic nation.
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Heinrich Zschokke
Writer
- Born: March 22, 1771
- Birthplace: Magdeburg, Prussia (now in Germany)
- Died: June 27, 1848
Biography
Johann Heinrich Daniel Zschokke, a political leader and fiction writer, was born in Magdeburg, Prussia (now in Germany), in 1771. Orphaned at an early age, Zschokke was sent to live with his older brother, who placed him into a strict religious boarding school. Zschokke was labeled a slow learner and returned to his brother’s home, where Zschokke was neglected and made to feel like a burden. In order to deal with his loneliness, he became an avid reader and turned to writing fiction, where he could create an ideal home and childhood. Despite his brother’s forbidding, Zschokke smuggled books into his sleeping chamber and read secretly at night.
At the age of twelve, Zschokke pleaded to the Guardianship Office for emancipation from his brother. Zschokke was granted emancipation and was placed in the care of a retired school principal. Zschokke was enrolled in a public high school and quickly rose to the top of his class. After completing his studies, he wanted to continue his education. However, he was unable to receive funding from his guardian to attend the university.
For the next two years, Zschokke wandered throughout Germany, working in various German playhouses. By the age of nineteen, he had finally obtained enough money to enter the University of Frankfurt. There, his academic successes earned him a position as a lecturer. During this time, Zschokke began writing several well-received plays and established a reputation as a literary man. He published his first novel, titled Abällino, der grosse Bandit (1793; Abellino, the great bandit), which was dramatized the following year. The success of this play earned Zschokke fame throughout Europe.
In 1794, Zschokke passed his doctorial examination but was refused professorship due to his young age. Frustrated with university politics, he quit his position as lecturer and left Frankfurt. He embarked on a journey throughout Europe in search of an ideal society in which to pursue his academic goals.
In 1796, after traveling throughout Switzerland and France, Zschokke settled in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. There he became the director of the monastery of Reichenau. For the next several years, Zschokke worked at the monastery to increase enrollment, revise the curriculum, and pioneer new methods of instruction.
In 1798, when Napoleon Bonaparte attempted to establish the Helvetic Republic in Switzerland, a civil feud broke out in Graubünden. Zschokke publicly supported the Helvetic Republic and was branded as a traitor. In 1790, Zschokke was forced to leave his directorship at the monastery and flee to Aarau, Switzerland.
In Aarau, Zschokke founded the political periodical titled Der aufrichtige und wohlerfahrene Schweizerbote (the honest and experienced Swiss messenger). His political writings in this journal established his reputation as a diplomatic leader and led to his appointment as governor of the canton of Waldstatten. Zschokke’s greatest achievement as a diplomat was the signing of the Treaty of Lunéville, which guaranteed Switzerland the right to self-government.
After the signing of this treaty, Zschokke retired from public office and returned to his career as a writer. In 1805, he married and started a family. Zschokke remained in Aarau, where he published numerous fiction novels and short stories.
In 1813, Zschokke once again returned to public service when he accepted an appointment to the Grand Council of Aarau. Under his political guidance, Aarau became a model of democracy. Zschokke remained in this position for sixteen years, working tirelessly to establish Switzerland as a democratic country with individual self-governed states subordinate to the national government.
In his later years, Zschokke, not forgetting his roots, established a foundation to financially aid impoverished students who wanted to attend Swiss universities. He also founded Switzerland’s first school for the speech and hearing impaired.
In 1837, he published his most noted work of fiction, Die Brannteweinpest (the rum plague). This work combined entertaining prose with a moral message against alcohol abuse. Zschokke continued to promote democracy until his final days. In 1848, he died at the age of seventy-seven. His lifelong dream of a democratic Switzerland was achieved with the signing of the Swiss constitution that year.