Ernst Philipp Karl Lange
Encyclopedia
Ernst Philipp Karl Lange (21 December 1813 - 20 February 1899) was a German
novelist who wrote under the pseudonym Philipp Galen.
, studied medicine
at Berlin
(1835–1840), and on taking his degree, in 1840, entered the Prussian army
as a surgeon
. In this capacity, he saw service in the Schleswig-Holstein
campaign of 1849, where he was in charge of a field hospital. He settled at Bielefeld
as medical practitioner and here issued his first novel, Der Inselkonig (1852, 3rd ed., 1858), which enjoyed considerable popularity. In Bielefeld he continued to work at his profession and to write, until his retirement, with the rank of Oberstabsarzt (surgeon-general), to Potsdam in 1878, where he died.
with no special tendency." His novels are distinguished by local colouring and pretty, though not powerful, descriptions of manners and customs. He particularly favored scenes of English
life, though he had never been in that country, and on the whole he succeeded well in his descriptions.
Chief among his novels are:
His Gesammelte Schriften appeared in 36 vols, 1857-1866. Der Irre von St James was reprinted as late as 2001.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
novelist who wrote under the pseudonym Philipp Galen.
Biography
He was born at PotsdamPotsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, studied medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1835–1840), and on taking his degree, in 1840, entered the Prussian army
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
as a surgeon
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
. In this capacity, he saw service in the Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
campaign of 1849, where he was in charge of a field hospital. He settled at Bielefeld
Bielefeld
Bielefeld is an independent city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 323,000, it is also the most populous city in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold...
as medical practitioner and here issued his first novel, Der Inselkonig (1852, 3rd ed., 1858), which enjoyed considerable popularity. In Bielefeld he continued to work at his profession and to write, until his retirement, with the rank of Oberstabsarzt (surgeon-general), to Potsdam in 1878, where he died.
Literary production
During his lifetime, Lange was described as "a pleasing realistRealism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
with no special tendency." His novels are distinguished by local colouring and pretty, though not powerful, descriptions of manners and customs. He particularly favored scenes of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
life, though he had never been in that country, and on the whole he succeeded well in his descriptions.
Chief among his novels are:
- Der Irre von St James, rated by some the best of his novels (written in 1844, published in 1853; 7th ed., 1883)
- Walther Lund, a semi-biographical romance (1855)
- Emery Glandon (3rd ed., Leipzig, 1865)
- Andreas Burns, a sketch of life in Holstein; it commanded considerable attention (1856)
- Die Tochter des Diplomaten, dealing with the Schleswig-Holstein campaign; it commanded considerable attention (1865)
- Der Alte vom Berg (1873)
- Die Moselnixe (1877)
- Die Fürstendiener (1880)
- Der Meier von Monjardin (1891)
His Gesammelte Schriften appeared in 36 vols, 1857-1866. Der Irre von St James was reprinted as late as 2001.