Christoph Martin Wieland
Christoph Martin Wieland was an influential German poet and playwright born in 1733 in Oberholzheim, Germany. The son of a Lutheran minister, Wieland received early education from private tutors and displayed remarkable literary talent from a young age. His studies in a prestigious boarding school led to a successful literary career, marked by works such as "Die Natur der Dinge" and "Lobgesang auf die Liebe." After moving to Zurich, he broke an engagement to engage in a love affair and began producing notable poetry and drama, including the successful play "Lady Johanna Gray." Wieland is also recognized for translating the works of William Shakespeare, which contributed to the German literary movement called Storm und Drang.
Later, he married Dorothea von Hillenbrand and fathered fourteen children, although he initially struggled with the marriage. His career flourished at the University of Erfurt and the royal court at Saxe-Weimar, where he also founded the periodical "Der Deutsche Merkur." In his later years, Wieland focused on translating classical literature and enjoyed visits from friends, including his first love, Sophie de la Roche. He passed away in 1813, leaving a lasting impact on German literature.
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Christoph Martin Wieland
Poet
- Born: September 5, 1733
- Birthplace: Oberholzheim, Germany
- Died: January 21, 1813
Biography
Christoph Martin Wieland, an eighteenth century poet, was born in 1733 in Oberholzheim, Germany, the son of a Lutheran minister. His father provided him with an early education at home through private tutors. Wieland excelled in his studies and showed considerable talent at writing verse. At the age of thirteen, Wieland was sent to Klosterbergen, a prestigious boarding school in Magdeburg, Germany. During his two years at Klosterbergen, Wieland impressed his instructors and was labeled a genius.
In 1750, Wieland returned to his parent’s home where he fell in love with a distant cousin, Marie Sophie Gutermann. Wieland’s affection for Gutermann inspired him to begin writing lyrical love poetry. The two became engaged but were forced to put their marriage on hold while Wieland traveled to Tubigen, Germany, to study law. A few months into his studies, Wieland lost interest in law and stopped attending lectures in order to devote his time to writing. He composed numerous noteworthy poems, including Die Natur der Dinge (1751) and Lobgesang auf die Liebe (1751).
Wieland’s literary achievements attracted the attention of the established writer Johann Jakob Bodmer. Bodmer invited Wieland to Zurich, Switzerland, as an apprentice. In 1752, Wieland traveled to Zurich for what was to be a three-week trip, but he remained in Switzerland for the next eight years. Wieland broke his engagement to Gutermann and she married the nobleman, Georg Michael La Roche. During his years in Switzerland, Wieland produced numerous poems as well as a play, Lady Johanna Gray: Oder, Der Triumph der Religion (pr. 1758). This drama played successfully throughout German-speaking Europe and established Wieland’s literary career.
After the success of his drama, Wieland relocated from Zurich to Bern, Switzerland, where he served briefly as a private tutor. While in Bern, he became engaged to Julie de Bondeli, an intellectual and close friend of Jean Jacques Rousseau. Despite his engagement, Wieland left Bondeli behind in Bern in order to accept a post on the inner council in Biberach, Germany. In Biberach, Wieland entered into a love affair with his housekeeper, Bibi Hogel. He fathered a child with her, causing Bondeli to break off her engagement to him. Wieland never married Hogel.
Through these turbulent times, Wieland took solace in his work. In 1762, he began publishing the first German translation of twenty-two of William Shakespeare’s plays. These translations were credited with paving the way for the German literary movement known as Storm und Drang. Wieland maintained his friendship with his first love, Gutermann, who had become known as Sophie de la Roche. On her recommendation, Wieland gained a position in the court of the Castle Warthausen. Captivated by the aristocratic life, Wieland began to produce literary works to entertain the nobility, including a comic play, Comische Erzahlungen (pb. 1765).
In the mid-1760’s, de la Roche arranged a marriage for Wieland with Dorothea von Hillenbrand, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Wieland initially was dissatisfied with his marriage, claiming his wife was not his intellectual equal. Wieland still publicly proclaimed his love for de la Roche, dedicated love poems in her honor, and even named one of his daughters after her. However, over the years, Wieland eventually fell in love with Dorothea, who bore him fourteen children.
As Wieland’s literary reputation grew, he was offered a professorship at the University of Erfurt. He became a popular lecturer, often filling lecture halls beyond capacity. Wieland remained at the university until 1772, when he left to embark on a literary career at the royal court at Saxe-Weimar. Despite his various court responsibilities, Wieland found time to establish the literary periodical Der Deutsche Merkur. This periodical remained in print for more than thirty-five years. Later in life, Wieland withdrew to the countryside where he often received visits from friends, de la Roche. He devoted the remainder of his years to translating Greek and Roman classics. Wieland died in 1813 at the age of eighty.