Georg Greflinger
Georg Greflinger was a notable figure in 17th-century Germany, born in 1618 in Regensburg. His early life was marked by hardship due to the Thirty Years' War, which claimed many family members and possessions. After attending high school in Regensburg, he studied at Wittenberg University and began his career as a clerk in various cities, including Danzig and Silesia. Greflinger settled in Hamburg in 1646 and became a notary in 1648, but his government salary was insufficient to support his family. To enhance his income, he ventured into journalism and founded the newspaper Norddeutscher Mercurius around 1665, becoming one of the first German journalists. Additionally, he was a poet, celebrated for his ability to blend popular song with literary poetry. Crowned poet laureate in 1654, much of Greflinger's work reflects a joy for life and romantic themes, highlighting his cheerful disposition amidst tumultuous times. He passed away in Hamburg in 1680, leaving behind a legacy in both journalism and poetry.
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Georg Greflinger
Writer
- Born: 1618
- Birthplace: Regensburg, Germany
- Died: 1680
- Place of death: Hamburg, Germany
Biography
Georg Greflinger was born in 1618 in Regensburg, Germany. He grew up on his father’s farm, where he worked as a cowherd and shepherd. As a youth, he lost many family members and possessions to the Thirty Years’ War. He attended high school in Regensburg and then studied at Wittenberg University. Through the help of well-established friends like the Ausbergers, Greflinger was able to gain employment as a clerk. Throughout his youth, Greflinger traveled a great deal, working as a clerk in cities such as Danzig (in what was then East Prussia and is now Poland) and Silesia (a region now in the eastern part of the Czech Republic and southwest Poland). Greflinger settled in Hamburg in 1646, and in 1648 he was able to secure an appointment as a notary.
Around 1650, Greflinger married, and his income from the government was not enough to support his family and lifestyle. To supplement his income, Greflinger worked as journalist. Around 1665 he started the newspaper Norddeutscher Mercurius, and he became one of the first German journalists. In addition to being a journalist, Greflinger was also a poet of some note. He attempted to bridge the gap between popular song and literary poetry. In 1654, after many years of publishing poetry, Greflinger was crowned poet laureate. Much of his poetry celebrates the joys of life and depicts Greflinger as a fun-loving, cheerful man, despite the war-stricken time in which he lived. Greflinger also explored the genre of love poetry, writing both in Petrarchan style of using fictitious, amorous experiences as well as autobiographical encounters. Greflinger died in Hamburg in 1680.