Johann Wilhelm von Stubenberg
Johann Wilhelm von Stubenberg, born on April 22, 1619, in Neustadt, Bohemia, was an influential figure in German baroque literature. He faced significant adversity early in life, including the death of his father and the subsequent persecution of his family due to their Protestant beliefs during the Hapsburg monarchy's rule. After losing his mother at a young age, he was raised in Dresden, Germany, where he embarked on an educational tour of Europe, honing his skills in languages and the sciences. Stubenberg's literary contributions began to flourish in the mid-17th century, marked by his translation of Giovanni Francesco Biondi's novel, "La Eromena," which is regarded as his finest work.
His engagement with a prestigious language society in 1648 allowed him to connect with notable literary figures, further inspiring his translations of significant works from Italian, French, and English into German. Despite attempts to gain favor with the Hapsburg court, including translations dedicated to King Ferdinand IV, he faced challenges in securing a court position. Stubenberg ultimately settled in Vienna and continued to produce translations, with his last notable work being the German version of "Clelia: Eine Römische Geschichte" in 1664. His legacy lies in his efforts to enrich German literature through translations of moralistic and practical treatises during a turbulent historical period.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Johann Wilhelm von Stubenberg
- Born: April 22, 1619
- Birthplace: Neustadt, Bohemia (now Czech Republic)
- Died: March 15, 1663
Biography
Johann Wilhelm von Stubenberg was born on April 22, 1619, in Neustadt, Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic). His parents were Rudolf von Stubenberg and Justina von Zelking, both of whom were descended from aristocratic Austrian families. When Stubenberg was a year old, his father was killed in an explosion at about the same time that King Friedrich of Bohemia was defeated.
The deposition of King Friedrich left the Protestant aristocracy in Austria unprotected from persecution by the Hapsburg monarchy, and Stubenberg’s father was posthumously accused of participating in a conspiracy. Because of this accusation, the family’s property was confiscated, and Stubenberg and his mother were forced to find refuge with her brother-in-law. Increasing pressure on the Protestant aristocracy from the Catholic Hapsburgs eventually forced the Stubenburgs to move again. When his mother died in 1632, Stubenburg was left in the care of a man named Georg Krschinetzky in Dresden, Germany.
In 1636, Stubenburg embarked on an educational tour of Europe, where he acquired an excellent knowledge of languages, sciences, and etiquette. He returned to Dresden in 1639, and his relatives were able to secure him access to his uncle’s fortune. Now wealthy, he continued to travel and he met his future wife, Felicitas Dorothea von Eibiswald, at the court of Brunswick. The couple married in 1642 and settled in Hungary for religious reasons.
Stubenberg became a member of a prestigious language society in 1648, and he became friends with famous German literary figures of the time, such as poet Sigismund von Birken. Through his association with the literary society, Stubenberg began to translate important treatises into German. Between 1650 and 1652, he produced what is considered his finest work, the translation of Italian author Giovanni Francesco Biondi’s novel, La Eromena (1634). For the next several years, he continued his translations, even dedicating a translation of Francis Bacon’s essays to King Ferdinand IV, hoping that the translation would improve his situation with the Catholic monarchy.
When Leopold I was crowned emperor in 1658, Stubenberg again tried to ingratiate himself to the court, but he was turned down for a position as a court councillor. He sold his estate and moved to Vienna, although he continued to try to move to Hungary where he could be with his friends.
His final major work was a translation of a French novel whose German title was Clelia: Eine Römische Geschichte (1664). Stubenberg’s contribution to German baroque literature was the translation of major literary, moralistic, and practical treatises from French, Italian, and English into German.