Matthias Claudius
Matthias Claudius was a prominent German poet and journalist, known for his significant role in the Sturm und Drang literary movement during the late 18th century. Born in Reinfeld, he initially pursued theology at the University of Jena before shifting his focus to law and public administration. Claudius's journalistic career began in 1768 when he became the editor of the Hamburgische Adreß-Comtoir-Nachrichten, where he wrote extensively, producing notable works like "Ein Wiegenlied bei Mondschein zu singen" (A Lullaby to Be Sung by Moonlight). His writings resonated with the common man, reflecting the populist sentiments of his time, contrasting with the elitist tendencies of the Enlightenment and Classicism. Throughout his life, Claudius balanced various public service roles with his literary ambitions, often struggling to maintain financial stability as a writer. He eventually secured a position as a banker with minimal responsibilities, facilitated by connections to the Danish crown. His personal life included a spontaneous marriage to Rebekka Behn, which further illustrated his passionate character. Claudius faced challenges during the Napoleonic Wars, ultimately passing away in Hamburg in 1815, finding refuge with family.
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Subject Terms
Matthias Claudius
Poet
- Born: August 15, 1740
- Birthplace: Reinfeld, Holstein, Germany
- Died: January 21, 1815
- Place of death: Hamburg, Germany
Biography
Rejected by Enlightenment and Classicist proponents, embraced by Romantics, German poet and journalist Matthias Claudius became a significant figure in the Sturm und Drang literary movement of the 1770’s and 1780’s. Strum und Drang literature was antiestablishment and naturalistic, and it lamented the alienation of human society from nature. While the pieces associated with Sturm und Drang may be said to be the works of disaffected geniuses, Claudius was more often identified as a populist and a writer for the common man.
Claudius was born in Reinfeld to the protestant minister Matthias Claudius and Marie Lock Claudius. Although he began studying theology at the University of Jena in 1759, he eventually switched to law and public administration. He spent a year in Copenhagen as a government bureaucrat beginning in 1764. By 1768, though, Claudius was editor of the Hamburgische Adreß-Comtoir-Nachrichten (Hamburg registry office news), where he wrote prolifically. One of Claudius’s most enduring and endearing works, “Ein Wiegenlied bei Mondschein zu singen” (A Lullaby to Be Sung by Moonlight), appeared in the journal. Claudius left the journal in 1870 to become editor of Der Wandsbecker Bothe (the wandsbeck messenger).
Claudius’s marriage to Rebekka Behn may be illustrative of the writer’s character. After moving to Wandsbeck in 1770, Claudius became smitten with Behn, and, on an evening in 1772, Claudius orchestrated an impromptu proposal and wedding. Claudius’s pattern of vacillating between public service posts and professional literary pursuits was repeated throughout his life. He found it difficult to make a comfortable living as a writer, and returned to governmental work to make ends meet. Eventually, through well-placed contacts, he received an appointment as a banker through the intercession of Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark in 1788. The job required little responsibility. With the start of the Napoleonic Wars, Claudius became something of a refugee. He died in 1815 in Hamburg after taking advantage of the sanctuary provided by family members.