Andreas Tscherning
Andreas Tscherning was a notable German poet and academic born in 1611 in Bunzlau, Silesia, which is present-day Boleslawiec, Poland. His early education was disrupted, but he later studied at the Elisabethgymnasium in Breslau, where he began publishing Latin poetry. Tscherning's academic journey led him to the University of Rostock in 1635, where he focused on oriental languages and began to publish significant poetic works. Among his notable contributions is the 1641 publication of "Centuria proverbiorum Alis imperatorium Muslimici distichis Latino-Germanicis expressa," a translation of Arabic proverbs into German.
In addition to his poetic endeavors, Tscherning pursued an academic career, ultimately becoming a professor of poetry at Rostock. He published a collection of German poetry entitled "Deutscher Getichte Früling" in 1642, which solidified his reputation as a respected poet. His later works included a treatise on German poetry published in 1658. Throughout his life, Tscherning was an advocate for poetry in the German language, publishing ten books that contributed to the evolution of German literature. He passed away in 1659, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer of German-language poetry.
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Andreas Tscherning
Poet
- Born: November 18, 1611
- Birthplace: Bunzlau, Silesia, Germany (now Boleslawiec, Poland)
- Died: September 27, 1659
Biography
Andreas Tscherning was born in Bunzlau, Silesia, Germany (now Boleslawiec, Poland), in 1611. He began his pursuit of education in Bunzlau but found himself unable to complete his education there. After a brief period of travel, Tscherning resumed his studies at the renowned Elisabethgymnasium in Breslau. It was while studying at the Elisabethgymnasium that Tscherning published his first poems, written in Latin.
In 1635, Tscherning began attending the University of Rostock, where he pursued the study of oriental languages. During this time he began writing his poetry in earnest, and between 1635 and 1640 three of his major poems were published. In 1636, Tscherning moved again to Breslau, not returning to Rostock until his book Centuria proverbiorum Alis imperatorium Muslimici distichis Latino-Germanicis expressa was published in 1641. The book is a German language translation of one hundred Arabic proverbs of the Muslim ruler Ali. In 1642, Tscherning resumed his studies at the University of Rostock and released a large collection of his German-language poetry, Deutscher Getichte Früling. The collection was well received and confirmed Tscherning’s place as a respected poet. Tscherning strove to use his success to become a professor of poetry at Rostock. He proved himself worthy, earned the position and his master’s degree, and in 1644 was appointed a department chair. Unfortunately, he did not receive a raise in salary for his chairmanship position until 1647. However, Tscherning was freed of financial stress when he married Katerina Marsilius, the widow of a wealthy lawyer, in 1645. The couple had two children together.
As Tscherning commenced his teaching duties, he continued composing poetry, publishing a number of volumes featuring both Latin- and German-language verses. His final work, a treatise on writing German poetry entitled Andreas Tschernings unvorgreiffliches Bedencken über etliche missbräuche in der deutschen Schreib-und Sprach-Kunst, insonderheit der edlen Poeterey, was published in 1658. He died the following year.
Tscherning published ten books during his lifetime, helping to break the classical mold of Latin poetry by popularizing poetry written in his native language. His German-language texts included Vortrab des Sommers Deutscher Getichte (1655), a collection of verse; Lob der Buchdruckerey (1640), a poem in praise of printing; and LobGesang über den frewdenreichen GeburtsTag unsers Herrn und Heylands Jesu Christi (1635), a collection of songs praising the birth of Jesus Christ.