Theodor Körner (author)
Encyclopedia
Karl Theodor Körner was a German
poet
and soldier
. After some time in Vienna
, where he wrote some light comedies and other works, he became a soldier and joined the German uprising against Napoleon. During these times, he displayed personal courage in many fights, and encouraged his comrades by fiery patriotic lyrics he composed, one of these being “Schwertlied" (Sword Song), composed during a lull in fighting only a few hours before his death and set to music by Franz Schubert. He was often called the “German Tyrtaeus
.”
in 1791, the son of the consistorial councillor Christian Gottfried Körner
and his wife Minna Stock Körner. He was raised by his parents and by his aunt, the artist Dora Stock
, who lived in the home.
After his education, he chose mining
as an occupation. He moved to Vienna
, where he befriended Wilhelm von Humboldt
, the Prussia
n ambassador, Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von Schlegel
, and other eminent literary and scientific men. Here, within the short space of fifteen months, he produced a succession of drama
s, opera
s, and farce
s, as well as several small poems. The success of his works obtained him the appointment of poet to the court.
He left Vienna in March 1813, and joined the Lützow Free Corps
(a voluntary association) which Major von Lützow
was then forming. In the midst of the most active campaigns
, Körner continued to write poetry and other works. He wrote a singspiel
, Der vierjährige Posten, which was set to music by Franz Schubert
in 1815, but the piece was not performed until 1869, when it was staged at the Hofoper, Dresden
. It was later adapted in English as The Outpost
.
On 28 May, Major von Lützow had determined on setting out on an expedition towards Thuringia
, with four squadrons of his cavalry
, and fifty cossack
s. Korner earnestly entreated permission to accompany him, and his desire was fulfilled by his being appointed adjutant
by Major von Lützow, who highly esteemed him, and wished to have him near his person.
The expedition passed in ten days through Halberstadt
, Eisleben
, Buttstadt, and Schlaitz, to Plauen
, though not without encountering the enemy, who were dispersed throughout these districts, but, also, not without effecting some important results. Intelligence and information were procured, ammunition
was captured, and prisoners
were taken. As a result, the French emperor
planned to destroy the corps, and the 1813 armistice
provided an opportunity for putting it in practice.
Major von Lützow had received official information of the armistice at Plauen. Without expecting to meet with any opposition, he chose the shortest route to rejoin the infantry
of his corps, having received assurance of safety from the enemy's commanding officers, and proceeded, without interruption, to Kitzen, near Leipzig
; but here he found himself surrounded and menaced by a very superior force. Körner was despatched to demand an explanation; but, instead of replying, the commander of the enemy struck at him with his sword
, and ordered a general attack be made on the three squadrons of the Lützow cavalry. Several were wounded and taken, and others dispersed in the surrounding country; but Major von Lützow himself was saved by the assistance of a squadron of Uhlans
, who had been in advance with the Cossacks. He reached, with a considerable number of his troops, the right bank of the Elbe
, where the infantry of his corps, and a squadron of its cavalry, were already collected.
Körner received the first blow, which he was not prepared to parry, as he approached the enemy's commanding officer to deliver his message, and was severely wounded in the head. He managed to escape on his horse to a nearby forest. After he had assisted a wounded comrade, he noticed an enemy troop that was in pursuit of him, and called with a loud voice, "Fourth squadron,—Advance!" His ruse succeeded—the enemy drew back, and he was able to retreat farther into the forest. The pain of his head wound had become very severe. It was in this position that he composed the sonnet
Abschied vom Leben (Farewell to Life), of which the following is a translation:
(Written in the night of the 17th and 18 June, as I lay, severely wounded and helpless in a wood, expecting to die.)
Abschied vom Leben (A literal translation from the German)
During the night he heard the enemy searching the forest near him, but afterwards fell asleep, and was saved in the morning by two peasants. He was conveyed secretly into Leipzig, which was then under French
control, and where the concealment of any of the Lützow Free Corps was prohibited, under severe punishment. He subsequently travelled to Berlin
, and having recovered from his wound, rejoined the corps of Lützow on the right bank of the Elbe.
, in which Körner fell. He had been in pursuit of a group of the enemy, when the riflemen, who had found a rallying-place in some under-wood, sent forth a shower of balls upon their pursuers. By one of these Korner was wounded in the abdomen, the liver
and spine
were injured, and he was immediately deprived of speech and consciousness. He was carried to a neighbouring wood, but could not be revived. He was buried under an oak in the village of Wobbelin
, about a mile from Ludwigslust
. A tomb has since been placed over his remains, and enclosed by a wall. He died at the age of twenty-one. His Poetischer Nachlass were edited by his father
and published at Leipzig in 1815.
According to J.R. Miller in "Homemaking" (now published as "The Family"), Körner had a very close friendship with his sister, and when he died, "she survived him only long enough to complete his portrait and to draw with the pencil of love a sketch of his last resting-place." Miller quotes a poem by "Mrs. Hemans" about their mutual devotion.
Of his light comedies, Die Braut (The Bride, 1812) and Der grüne Domino (The Green Mask, 1812) were very successful, and Der Nachtwächter (The Night Watch, 1812) was notable. The drama Zriny, an historical tragedy, is the most ambitious of his works.
Many of the poems from his years in the Lützow Free Corps were set to music by Carl Maria von Weber
.
A selection of his battle songs was prepared by his father and published under the title of Leier und Schwert (Berlin, 1814). His complete works were published by the direction of his mother, and edited by Streckfuss (1 vol., Berlin, 1834; 4 vols., 1838).
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...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
. After some time in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where he wrote some light comedies and other works, he became a soldier and joined the German uprising against Napoleon. During these times, he displayed personal courage in many fights, and encouraged his comrades by fiery patriotic lyrics he composed, one of these being “Schwertlied" (Sword Song), composed during a lull in fighting only a few hours before his death and set to music by Franz Schubert. He was often called the “German Tyrtaeus
Tyrtaeus
Tyrtaeus was a Greek poet who composed verses in Sparta around the time of the Second Messenian War, the date of which isn't clearly establishedsometime in the latter part of the seventh century BC...
.”
Early life
He was born at DresdenDresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
in 1791, the son of the consistorial councillor Christian Gottfried Körner
Christian Gottfried Körner
Christian Gottfried Körner was a German jurist. His home was a literary and musical salon, and he was a friend of Friedrich Schiller.-Biography:...
and his wife Minna Stock Körner. He was raised by his parents and by his aunt, the artist Dora Stock
Dora Stock
Dora Stock was an artist of the 18th and 19th centuries who specialized in portraiture. She was at the center of a highly cultivated household in which a great number of artists, musicians, and writers were guests; and her friends and acquaintances included some of the most eminent figures of her...
, who lived in the home.
After his education, he chose mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
as an occupation. He moved to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where he befriended Wilhelm von Humboldt
Wilhelm von Humboldt
Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand Freiherr von Humboldt was a German philosopher, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of Humboldt Universität. He is especially remembered as a linguist who made important contributions to the philosophy of language and to the theory and practice...
, the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n ambassador, Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von Schlegel
Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von Schlegel
Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel was a German poet, critic and scholar. With his older brother, August Wilhelm Schlegel, he was a critical leader of German Romanticism.-Life and work:...
, and other eminent literary and scientific men. Here, within the short space of fifteen months, he produced a succession of drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, and farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
s, as well as several small poems. The success of his works obtained him the appointment of poet to the court.
He left Vienna in March 1813, and joined the Lützow Free Corps
Lützow Free Corps
Lützow Free Corps was a voluntary force of the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars. It was named after its commander, Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow. They were also widely known as "Lützower Jäger" or "Schwarze Jäger" .-Origins:...
(a voluntary association) which Major von Lützow
Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow
Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm Freiherr von Lützow was a Prussian lieutenant general notable for his organization and command of a Lützow Freikorps of volunteers during the Napoleonic Wars...
was then forming. In the midst of the most active campaigns
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Körner continued to write poetry and other works. He wrote a singspiel
Singspiel
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
, Der vierjährige Posten, which was set to music by Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
in 1815, but the piece was not performed until 1869, when it was staged at the Hofoper, Dresden
Semperoper
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the concert hall of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden . It is located near the Elbe River in the historic center of Dresden, Germany.The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841...
. It was later adapted in English as The Outpost
The Outpost (opera)
The Outpost is an opera or operetta by composer Hamilton Clarke with a libretto by A. O'D. Bartholeyns. The story is an adaptation of the Singspiel Der vierjährige Posten by Theodor Körner with music by Franz Schubert....
.
Napoleonic Wars
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....
, with four squadrons of his cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, and fifty cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
s. Korner earnestly entreated permission to accompany him, and his desire was fulfilled by his being appointed adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
by Major von Lützow, who highly esteemed him, and wished to have him near his person.
The expedition passed in ten days through Halberstadt
Halberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
, Eisleben
Eisleben
Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as the hometown of Martin Luther, hence its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. As of 2005, Eisleben had a population of 24,552...
, Buttstadt, and Schlaitz, to Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
, though not without encountering the enemy, who were dispersed throughout these districts, but, also, not without effecting some important results. Intelligence and information were procured, ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
was captured, and prisoners
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
were taken. As a result, the French emperor
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
planned to destroy the corps, and the 1813 armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
provided an opportunity for putting it in practice.
Major von Lützow had received official information of the armistice at Plauen. Without expecting to meet with any opposition, he chose the shortest route to rejoin the infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
of his corps, having received assurance of safety from the enemy's commanding officers, and proceeded, without interruption, to Kitzen, near 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...
; but here he found himself surrounded and menaced by a very superior force. Körner was despatched to demand an explanation; but, instead of replying, the commander of the enemy struck at him with his sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
, and ordered a general attack be made on the three squadrons of the Lützow cavalry. Several were wounded and taken, and others dispersed in the surrounding country; but Major von Lützow himself was saved by the assistance of a squadron of Uhlans
Polish cavalry
The Polish cavalry can trace its origins back to the days of Medieval mounted knights. Poland had always been a country of flatlands and fields and mounted forces operate well in this environment...
, who had been in advance with the Cossacks. He reached, with a considerable number of his troops, the right bank of the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
, where the infantry of his corps, and a squadron of its cavalry, were already collected.
Körner received the first blow, which he was not prepared to parry, as he approached the enemy's commanding officer to deliver his message, and was severely wounded in the head. He managed to escape on his horse to a nearby forest. After he had assisted a wounded comrade, he noticed an enemy troop that was in pursuit of him, and called with a loud voice, "Fourth squadron,—Advance!" His ruse succeeded—the enemy drew back, and he was able to retreat farther into the forest. The pain of his head wound had become very severe. It was in this position that he composed the sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
Abschied vom Leben (Farewell to Life), of which the following is a translation:
- Farewell to Life
(Written in the night of the 17th and 18 June, as I lay, severely wounded and helpless in a wood, expecting to die.)
- "My deep wound burns;—my pale lips quake in death,—
- I feel my fainting heart resign its strife,
- And reaching now the limit of my life,
- Lord, to thy will I yield my parting breath!
- Yet many a dream hath charm'd my youthful eye;
- And must life's fairy visions all depart;
- Oh surely no! for all that fired my heart
- To rapture here, shall live with me on high.
- And that fair form that won my earliest vow,
- That my young spirit prized all else above,
- And now adored as freedom, now as love,
- Stands in seraphic guise, before me now.
- And as my fading senses fade away,
- It beckons me, on high, to realms of endless day!"
Abschied vom Leben (A literal translation from the German)
- My wounds burn, my pale lips quiver.
- I feel it in my heart’s dull beat,
- Here I stand at the milestone of my days,
- God, whatever You want! I've resigned myself to You.
- I saw a myriad golden images floating around me;
- The beautiful dream has become a dirge.
- Courage! Courage! That which I faithfully carry in my heart
- Must still live there with me forever!
- And that which I regarded as sacred here on earth,
- That which in my rash and youthful zeal I pursued,
- Whether I called it freedom, or whether I called it love,
- I see those things before me now in the form of a shining angel
- And as my senses slowly fade,
- A breath lifts me on high in the red glow of morning.
- Source: Abschied vom Leben on German Wikisource
During the night he heard the enemy searching the forest near him, but afterwards fell asleep, and was saved in the morning by two peasants. He was conveyed secretly into Leipzig, which was then under French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
control, and where the concealment of any of the Lützow Free Corps was prohibited, under severe punishment. He subsequently travelled to 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...
, and having recovered from his wound, rejoined the corps of Lützow on the right bank of the Elbe.
Death
Hostilities recommenced on 17 August; and on the 28th an engagement took place near RosenbergRosenberg
- Places :* Rosenberg, Baden, a municipality in the district of Neckar-Odenwald, Baden-Württemberg, Germany* Rosenberg , a municipality in the district of Ostalbkreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
, in which Körner fell. He had been in pursuit of a group of the enemy, when the riflemen, who had found a rallying-place in some under-wood, sent forth a shower of balls upon their pursuers. By one of these Korner was wounded in the abdomen, the liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
and spine
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
were injured, and he was immediately deprived of speech and consciousness. He was carried to a neighbouring wood, but could not be revived. He was buried under an oak in the village of Wobbelin
Wöbbelin
Wöbbelin is a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The municipality has a seat in the office of Ludwigslust from where it is administered...
, about a mile from Ludwigslust
Ludwigslust
Ludwigslust is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. It was the capital of the former district of Ludwigslust, and is part of the district Ludwigslust-Parchim since September 2011.-History:...
. A tomb has since been placed over his remains, and enclosed by a wall. He died at the age of twenty-one. His Poetischer Nachlass were edited by his father
Christian Gottfried Körner
Christian Gottfried Körner was a German jurist. His home was a literary and musical salon, and he was a friend of Friedrich Schiller.-Biography:...
and published at Leipzig in 1815.
According to J.R. Miller in "Homemaking" (now published as "The Family"), Körner had a very close friendship with his sister, and when he died, "she survived him only long enough to complete his portrait and to draw with the pencil of love a sketch of his last resting-place." Miller quotes a poem by "Mrs. Hemans" about their mutual devotion.
Works
His first volume of poems was published under the title of Knospen (Buds, 1810).Of his light comedies, Die Braut (The Bride, 1812) and Der grüne Domino (The Green Mask, 1812) were very successful, and Der Nachtwächter (The Night Watch, 1812) was notable. The drama Zriny, an historical tragedy, is the most ambitious of his works.
Many of the poems from his years in the Lützow Free Corps were set to music by Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
.
A selection of his battle songs was prepared by his father and published under the title of Leier und Schwert (Berlin, 1814). His complete works were published by the direction of his mother, and edited by Streckfuss (1 vol., Berlin, 1834; 4 vols., 1838).
Publications
- Zeiner, Körner als Dramatiker (Stockerau, 1900)
- Strucker, Beiträge zur kritischen Würdigung der dramatischen Dichtungen Körners (no place, 1910)
External links
- Project Gutenberg article
- http://www.zeit.de/zeitlaeufte/koerner (in German) by EPOCHE NAPOLEON by EPOCHE NAPOLEON by EPOCHE NAPOLEON