Caspar Stieler
Caspar Stieler (1632-1707) was a notable German lyric poet and court bureaucrat who made significant contributions to the development of German-language literature in the seventeenth century. Born in Erfurt, he initially pursued a medical career but shifted his focus to the arts, becoming involved with the Kurbishütte circle of poets in Königsberg. Stieler's military experiences during the Polish-Swedish war and his education in law and theology influenced his literary work, particularly his notable collection "Die Geharnschte Venus," which remains a significant element of the lied tradition.
As a member of the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft, Stieler's work was aimed at a popular audience, creating both lyrical verse and courtly dramas. His career included various secretarial roles, most prominently in Saxe-Weimar, where he enjoyed a productive writing period. Stieler's legacy includes an influential dictionary that laid the groundwork for future German dictionaries and contributed to the evolution of the German language. Despite personal hardships, including the loss of his first wife, Stieler remained a prolific figure in the literary landscape until his death in 1707.
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Caspar Stieler
- Born: March 1, 1632
- Birthplace: Erfurt, Germany
- Died: June 24, 1707
- Place of death: Erfurt, Germany
Biography
Seventeenth century German lyric poet and court bureaucrat Caspar Stieler was one of the most prolific and broadly influential members of the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft (fruit- bringing society), formed to develop German-language writing. His contributions to German literature included new lyrical verse forms intended for songs and musical theater as well as a dictionary. He wrote numerous handbooks documenting the courtly professions.
Born in Erfurt in 1632, Stieler’s family had been pharmacists for generations and he was expected to join the family profession. He chose to study medicine instead, but was expelled from the University of Gie�en in 1650 for dueling and resisting arrest. He relocated to Königsberg in East Prussia, eventually attending university there and studying theology, rhetoric, and law. His professor Valentin Thilo introduced him to the Kurbishütte (pumpkin-hut) circle of poets, including the composer Heinrich Albert, who influenced Stieler’s interest in musical lyric. The years in Königsberg were formative for Stieler in many ways, and his lyrics reflect various experiences from this time in his life, including a tenure as a military court official in the mid- 1650’s during the Polish-Swedish war and a life-threatening illness shortly after.
Stieler’s military experience was particularly influential on the 1657 collection Die Geharnschte Venus (armored venus), published under the pastoral name Filidor der Dorfferer (Filidor the villager) and not identified as Stieler’s work until 1897. The cycle includes musical settings for each of the seventy lyrics and is considered Stieler’s most significant contribution to the lied tradition. Most of the music was written by various composers, including several from the influential Hamburg leider school in North Germany, although Stieler composed some himself.
Anecdotes from Stieler’s life, as well as the tone of his prose, suggest that he was exceptionally charming and self- confident. During a stay in Rome, the Protestant Stieler had an audience and short conversation with the Pope. A “grand tour” of Europe was financed by serving as a companion and translator to noblemen on their own grand tours—positions which usually went to seasoned travellers. Stieler was able to develop several useful skills on the tour: notably fluency in French and Italian and the courtly manners and mannerisms which would serve him well as a court secretary.
Stieler’s court profession was likely motivated by his desire to marry a noble woman, Regina Sophie Breitenbach. They married in 1663 after Stieler received a post as secretary to the count of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, and had two children shortly after, Caspar Ernst and Caspar Friedrich. Although Stieler’s duties at Rudolstadt were varied, his most significant compositions during this time were the dramatic pieces known as the Rudolstädter Festspiele. All are musical, although some have incidental music and others are through- composed. The dramas are noteworthy because they are full-length comedies and tragedies, rather than the more common occasional masques.
In 1666, Stieler became secretary to the ducal brothers of Saxe-Weimar. He joined the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft in 1668, under the sponsorship of his friend Georg Neumark and using the name Der Spate (the late one). During this period, he wrote works clearly targeted at a popular audience and intended to earn income for his growing family—five more children were born in the decade after the move to Saxe-Weimar, but his wife died in childbirth with their last daughter, Melusina.
Stieler remarried quickly, in 1677, but this year is also marked by conflict with his publishers and the loss of his secretarial position, suggesting that Stieler had difficulty coping with life after his wife’s death. He did complete several freelance positions shortly after his remarriage and returned to secretarial work, first in 1678 at the University of Jena and then in 1680 when he received the prestigious secretarial post at Weimar. The Weimar years marked another period of great productivity, both of court dramas and poems as well as freelance projects including lyrics and criticism.
Stieler’s last court position was adviser to Duke Philip Ludwig of Holstein-Wiesenburg, from 1685 to 1689. After the duke’s death, Stieler returned to Erfurt to work on his influential dictionary, which formed the basis of all subsequent German dictionaries and was the source for many colloquialisms found in Jacob Grimm’s dictionary. Stieler died in 1707.