Christian Felix Weiße
Encyclopedia
Christian Felix Weiße was a German writer and pedagogue
. Weiße was among the leading representatives of the Enlightenment
in Germany and is regarded as the founder of German children's literature
.
in the Ore Mountains
as the son of Christian Heinrich Weiße and his wife, Christian Elisabeth. His father was rector
at a Latin school
and teacher for oriental and modern European languages. When Weiße was one year old, the family moved to Altenburg
, Thuringia
, 45 km south of Leipzig
, where he then attended the Gymnasium and made his first attempts at writing poetry. His father had died in 1730.
His family moved then to Leipzig, where he studied philology
and theology
from 1745 until 1750 at the University of Leipzig
. During this time, he became acquainted with Christian Fürchtegott Gellert
, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
, Friederike Caroline Neuber
, Gottlieb Rabener
and Ewald Christian von Kleist
.
After he finished his studies, Weiße became a private tutor to the Count Geyersberg, also a student in Leipzig. Friedrich Nicolai
asked Weiße in 1759 to become editor of the magazine Bibliothek der schönen Wissenschaften (Library of the Beautiful Sciences) which Nicolai had founded two years before; Weiße published this magazine and its successor until 1788. The same year, 1759, Weiße travelled to Paris; on his return, he relinquished the tutur position and became social companion to Count Schulenburg on the count's castle in Burgscheidungen
.
Weiße became district tax collector in Leipzig in 1762 and married in the following year Christiane Platner, the daughter of a renowned Leipzig surgeon and sister of Ernst Platner
. In 1790, the patronage
of Count Schulenburg allowed him to acquire the castle in Stötteritz (today part of Leipzig). He redesigned it completely and established an English garden
. The property changed from an estate to a summerhouse and garden where a salon
sees guests like Christian Garve
, Christoph Martin Wieland
, Moritz August von Thümmel
and Jean Paul
.
Apart from his poetry and plays, Weiße had great success with his magazine Der Kinderfreund (The Children's Friend) which he published from 1775 until 1782 in 24 volumes; it is regarded as the first magazine for children in Germany. Four of his poems were set to music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
. Weiße was not appreciated by the literary representatives of the then new movement, Sturm und Drang
. His most lasting success were the libretto
s to Johann Adam Hiller's Singspiel
e.
Weiße died on 16 December 1804 in Stötteritz; he is buried on the Alter Johannisfriedhof in Leipzig. His was survived by his wife who died in 1813. A notable child from this marriage was the historian and jurist Christian Ernst Weiße.
Almost all of the works by Johann Adam Hiller are set to librettos by Weiße, in particular:
Works by other composers include:
Comedies
Tragedies
Children's books and non-fiction
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
. Weiße was among the leading representatives of the Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
in Germany and is regarded as the founder of German children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
.
Life
Weiße was born as twin on 28 January 1726 in AnnabergAnnaberg-Buchholz
Annaberg-Buchholz is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, in the Erzgebirge, capital of the district Erzgebirgskreis.The town is located in the Ore Mountains, at the side of the Pöhlberg . It has three Protestant churches, among them that of St...
in the Ore Mountains
Ore Mountains
The Ore Mountains in Central Europe have formed a natural border between Saxony and Bohemia for many centuries. Today, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic runs just north of the main crest of the mountain range...
as the son of Christian Heinrich Weiße and his wife, Christian Elisabeth. His father was rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
at a Latin school
Latin School
Latin School may refer to:* Latin schools of Medieval Europe* These schools in the United States:** Boston Latin School, Boston, MA** Brooklyn Latin School, New York, NY** Brother Joseph C. Fox Latin School, Long Island, NY...
and teacher for oriental and modern European languages. When Weiße was one year old, the family moved to Altenburg
Altenburg
Altenburg is a town in the German federal state of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.-Geography:...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, 45 km south of Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, where he then attended the Gymnasium and made his first attempts at writing poetry. His father had died in 1730.
His family moved then to Leipzig, where he studied philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from 1745 until 1750 at the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
. During this time, he became acquainted with Christian Fürchtegott Gellert
Christian Fürchtegott Gellert
Christian Fürchtegott Gellert was a German poet, one of the forerunners of the golden age of German literature that was ushered in by Lessing.-Biography:...
, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was a German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, and art critic, and one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature...
, Friederike Caroline Neuber
Friederike Caroline Neuber
Friederike Caroline Neuber, also called Die Neuberin, , was a German actor and theatre director. She is one of the most famous artists in the history of the German theater....
, Gottlieb Rabener
Gottlieb Rabener
Gottlieb Wilhelm Rabener , was a German writer of prose satires. He was born at Wachau near Leipzig, and died at Dresden....
and Ewald Christian von Kleist
Ewald Christian von Kleist
Ewald Christian von Kleist was a German poet and officer.-Life:Kleist was born at Zeblin, near Köslin in Farther Pomerania, to the von Kleist family of cavalry leaders...
.
After he finished his studies, Weiße became a private tutor to the Count Geyersberg, also a student in Leipzig. Friedrich Nicolai
Christoph Friedrich Nicolai
Christoph Friedrich Nicolai was a German writer and bookseller.Nicolai was born in Berlin, where his father, Christoph Gottlieb Nicolai , was the founder of the famous Nicolaische Buchhandlung...
asked Weiße in 1759 to become editor of the magazine Bibliothek der schönen Wissenschaften (Library of the Beautiful Sciences) which Nicolai had founded two years before; Weiße published this magazine and its successor until 1788. The same year, 1759, Weiße travelled to Paris; on his return, he relinquished the tutur position and became social companion to Count Schulenburg on the count's castle in Burgscheidungen
Burgscheidungen
Burgscheidungen is a village and a former municipality in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Laucha an der Unstrut....
.
Weiße became district tax collector in Leipzig in 1762 and married in the following year Christiane Platner, the daughter of a renowned Leipzig surgeon and sister of Ernst Platner
Ernst Platner
Ernst Platner was a German anthropologist, physician and philosopher born in Leipzig. He was father to painter Ernst Zacharias Platner ....
. In 1790, the patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
of Count Schulenburg allowed him to acquire the castle in Stötteritz (today part of Leipzig). He redesigned it completely and established an English garden
English garden
The English garden, also called English landscape park , is a style of Landscape garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical Garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The...
. The property changed from an estate to a summerhouse and garden where a salon
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
sees guests like Christian Garve
Christian Garve
Christian Garve was one of the best-known philosophers of the late Enlightenment along with Immanuel Kant and Moses Mendelssohn.-Life:...
, Christoph Martin Wieland
Christoph Martin Wieland
Christoph Martin Wieland was a German poet and writer.- Biography :He was born at Oberholzheim , which then belonged to the Free Imperial City of Biberach an der Riss in the south-east of the modern-day state of Baden-Württemberg...
, Moritz August von Thümmel
Moritz August von Thummel
Moritz August von Thümmel was a German humorist and satirical author.Thümmel was born on 27 May 1738 at Schönefeld near Leipzig. Educated at Roßleben, Thuringia, and the University of Leipzig, where he studied law, he held from 1761 until 1783 various offices in the ducal court of Saxe-Coburg,...
and Jean Paul
Jean Paul
Jean Paul , born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, was a German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories.-Life and work:...
.
Apart from his poetry and plays, Weiße had great success with his magazine Der Kinderfreund (The Children's Friend) which he published from 1775 until 1782 in 24 volumes; it is regarded as the first magazine for children in Germany. Four of his poems were set to music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
. Weiße was not appreciated by the literary representatives of the then new movement, Sturm und Drang
Sturm und Drang
Sturm und Drang is a proto-Romantic movement in German literature and music taking place from the late 1760s through the early 1780s, in which individual subjectivity and, in particular, extremes of emotion were given free expression in reaction to the perceived constraints of rationalism...
. His most lasting success were the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
s to Johann Adam Hiller's Singspiel
Singspiel
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
e.
Weiße died on 16 December 1804 in Stötteritz; he is buried on the Alter Johannisfriedhof in Leipzig. His was survived by his wife who died in 1813. A notable child from this marriage was the historian and jurist Christian Ernst Weiße.
Works
LibrettosAlmost all of the works by Johann Adam Hiller are set to librettos by Weiße, in particular:
- Die verwandelten WeiberDie verwandelten WeiberDie verwandelten Weiber, oder Der Teufel ist los, erster Theil is a three-act 'comische Oper' by the German composer Johann Adam Hiller, incorporating 14 musical numbers from the popular farce Der Teufel ist los by Johann Georg Standfuss.The libretto was by Christian Felix Weiße based on the...
(1766) - Lottchen am HofeLottchen am HofeLottchen am Hofe is a three-act 'comische Oper' by the German composer Johann Adam Hiller.The libretto by Christian Felix Weiße was based on the opéra comique text La caprice amoureux, ou Ninette à la cour by Charles Simon Favart.-Performance history:The opera was first performed in a two-act...
(1767) - Die JagdDie JagdDie Jagd is an opera by the German composer Johann Adam Hiller. It takes the form of a Singspiel in three acts. The libretto, by Christian Felix Weiße, is based on the plays La partie de chasse de Henri IV by Charles Collé, The King and the Miller of Mansfield by Robert Dodsley, and the opéra...
, (1770)
Works by other composers include:
- Der Dorfbarbier, music (1771) by Christian Gottlob NeefeChristian Gottlob NeefeChristian Gottlob Neefe was a German opera composer and conductor.Neefe was born in Chemnitz, Saxony. He received a musical education and started to compose at the age of 12...
and Johann Adam Hiller - Romeo und JulieRomeo und JulieRomeo und Julie is a singspiel in three acts by composer Georg Benda. The opera has a German libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter that is based upon Christian Felix Weiße's translation of William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet....
by Georg BendaGeorg BendaJiří Antonín Benda, also Georg Anton Benda or J.A. Benda was a Czech kapellmeister, violinist and composer of the classical period.-Biography:...
is based on Weiße's translation of Shakespeare's Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
Comedies
- Die Freundschaft auf der Probe (1768) (Friendship Tested)
- Collection in 3 volumes (1783)
Tragedies
- Die Befreyung von Theben (1764) (The Liberation of ThebesAncient Thebes (Boeotia)See Thebes, Greece for the modern city built on the ancient ruins.Ancient Thebes was a Boeotian city-state , situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain...
) - Collection in 5 volumes (1776–1780)
Children's books and non-fiction
- Beytrag zum deutschen Theater (5 volumes, 1759–1768) (Contribution to the German Theatre)
- Kleine Lieder für Kinder (1766) (Little Songs for Children)
- Neues ABC-Buch (1772) (New Alphabet BookAlphabet bookAn Alphabet book is a book primarily designed for young children. It presents letters of the alphabet with corresponding words and/or images. Some alphabet books feature capitals and lower case letter forms, keywords beginning with specific letters, or illustrations of keywords...
) - Der Kinderfreund (24 volumes, 1775–1782) (The Children's Friend)
- Briefwechsel der Familie des Kinderfreundes (12 volumes, 1784–1792) (Letters from the Family of the Children's Friend)
- Achthundert neue noch nie gedruckte Räthsel (1791) (Eight hundred Never-Before Printed Riddles)
- Christian Felix Weißens Selbstbiographie (1806) (Autobiography)
External links
- Christian Felix Weisse at zeno.orgZeno.orgZeno.org is a digital library with German texts and other content such as pictures, facsimile, etc., which has been started by the Zenodot Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, a German publishing house and sister enterprise of Directmedia Publishing GmbH. The content is based on the digital libraries from the...
- Poems