Johann Peter Hebel
Encyclopedia
Johann Peter Hebel was a German short story writer and dialectal poet, most famous for his collection of alemannic
tales Schatzkästlein des rheinischen Hausfreundes (Treasure chest of the family friend by the Rhine).
who loved learning, died when Hebel was little over a year old. As a result, Hebel was brought up amidst poverty-stricken conditions in the village of Hausen im Wiesental
, where he received his earliest education. A promising student, he found friends who enabled him to complete his school education and to study theology
(1778–1780) at Erlangen
.
At the end of his university course he was for a time a private tutor, then became teacher at the gymnasium
in Karlsruhe
, and in 1808 was appointed director of the school. He was subsequently appointed member of the Consistory
and prelate
, i.e. spiritual leader, of the United Evangelical Protestant State Church of Baden between 1819 and 1826.
Memorials have been erected to him at Karlsruhe
, Lörrach
, Hausen im Wiesental
, Basel
and Schwetzingen
.
Hebel is one of the most widely read of all German popular poets and writers. His poetical narratives and lyric poems, written in the Alemanic
dialect, are popular in the best sense.
His Alemannische Gedichte (1803) bucolicize, in the words of Goethe, the whole world in the most attractive manner (verbauert das ganze Universum auf die anmutigste Weise). Indeed, few modern German poets surpass him in fidelity, naiveté, humour, and in the freshness and vigour of his descriptions.
The anecdotes and tales contained in the Schatzkästlein des rheinischen Hausfreundes belong to the best class of German stories, and according to August Friedrich Christian Vilmar
(1800–1868) in his Geschichte der deutschen Literatur are worth more than a cartload of novels (wiegen ein ganzes Fuder Romane auf). Admirers of his work include Goethe, Franz Kafka
, Walter Benjamin
, Ludwig Wittgenstein
and Martin Heidegger
.
Alemannic German
Alemannic is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy...
tales Schatzkästlein des rheinischen Hausfreundes (Treasure chest of the family friend by the Rhine).
Life
Hebel's father, a weaver and batmanBatman (army)
A batman is a soldier or airman assigned to a commissioned officer as a personal servant.The term is derived from the obsolete bat, "packsaddle" + man....
who loved learning, died when Hebel was little over a year old. As a result, Hebel was brought up amidst poverty-stricken conditions in the village of Hausen im Wiesental
Hausen im Wiesental
Hausen im Wiesental is a commune in the Lörrach district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The eminent expressionistic painter August Babberger was born in Hausen in 1885 and the dialectal poet Johann Peter Hebel lived in Hausen for many years.-Geography:...
, where he received his earliest education. A promising student, he found friends who enabled him to complete his school education and to study 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...
(1778–1780) at Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
.
At the end of his university course he was for a time a private tutor, then became teacher at the gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, and in 1808 was appointed director of the school. He was subsequently appointed member of the Consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
and prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
, i.e. spiritual leader, of the United Evangelical Protestant State Church of Baden between 1819 and 1826.
Memorials have been erected to him at Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, Lörrach
Lörrach
Lörrach is a city in southwest Germany, in the valley of the Wiese, close to the French and the Swiss border. It is the capital of the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg. The biggest industry is the chocolate factory Milka...
, Hausen im Wiesental
Hausen im Wiesental
Hausen im Wiesental is a commune in the Lörrach district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The eminent expressionistic painter August Babberger was born in Hausen in 1885 and the dialectal poet Johann Peter Hebel lived in Hausen for many years.-Geography:...
, Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and Schwetzingen
Schwetzingen
Schwetzingen is a German town situated in the northwest of Baden-Württemberg, around southwest of Heidelberg and southeast of Mannheim.Schwetzingen is one of the 5 biggest cities of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis district and it is a medium-sized centre including the cities and municipalities of...
.
Works
Alemannic German
Alemannic is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy...
dialect, are popular in the best sense.
His Alemannische Gedichte (1803) bucolicize, in the words of Goethe, the whole world in the most attractive manner (verbauert das ganze Universum auf die anmutigste Weise). Indeed, few modern German poets surpass him in fidelity, naiveté, humour, and in the freshness and vigour of his descriptions.
The anecdotes and tales contained in the Schatzkästlein des rheinischen Hausfreundes belong to the best class of German stories, and according to August Friedrich Christian Vilmar
August Friedrich Christian Vilmar
August Friedrich Christian Vilmar, German Neo-Lutheran theologian; born at Solz November 21, 1800; died at Marburg July 30, 1868. In 1818-20 he studied theology at Marburg, only to learn doubt from rationalism, and from doubt to pass to unbelief...
(1800–1868) in his Geschichte der deutschen Literatur are worth more than a cartload of novels (wiegen ein ganzes Fuder Romane auf). Admirers of his work include Goethe, Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
, Walter Benjamin
Walter Benjamin
Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin was a German-Jewish intellectual, who functioned variously as a literary critic, philosopher, sociologist, translator, radio broadcaster and essayist...
, Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein was an Austrian philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. He was professor in philosophy at the University of Cambridge from 1939 until 1947...
and Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological explorations of the "question of Being."...
.