William Kreiten
Encyclopedia
William Kreiten was a literary critic and poet.
At the age of sixteen he entered the Jesuit novitiate
of Friedrichsburg in Münster
. After receiving his classical education at Münster and Amiens
, he began his philosophical and theological studies at Maria Laach Abbey
in 1868, but was compelled to interrupt them the following year on account of ill-health. From 1869 to 1871 he pursued literary studies at Münster. When the Jesuits were expelled from Germany, in 1872, Kreiten was sent to Aix-en-Provence
, where he completed his theological studies and was ordained priest on 8 June 1873. From 1870 to 1878 he was on the editorial staff of Stimmen aus Maria Laach in Tervuren
near Brussels
. In 1878 ill-heath compelled him to retire to Kerkrade, where he spent the remaining twenty-three years of his life in literary pursuits. He was one of the chief workers on Stimmen aus Maria Laach, to which he contributed numerous essays on literary subjects and most of the reviews of contemporary Catholic literature from 1874 to 1902.
At the age of sixteen he entered the Jesuit novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
of Friedrichsburg in Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
. After receiving his classical education at Münster and Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, he began his philosophical and theological studies at Maria Laach Abbey
Maria Laach Abbey
Maria Laach Abbey is a Benedictine abbey situated on the southwestern shore of the Laacher See , near Andernach, in the Eifel region of the Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is a member of the Beuronese Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation...
in 1868, but was compelled to interrupt them the following year on account of ill-health. From 1869 to 1871 he pursued literary studies at Münster. When the Jesuits were expelled from Germany, in 1872, Kreiten was sent to Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
, where he completed his theological studies and was ordained priest on 8 June 1873. From 1870 to 1878 he was on the editorial staff of Stimmen aus Maria Laach in Tervuren
Tervuren
Tervuren is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Duisburg, Tervuren, Vossem and Moorsel. On January 1, 2006, Tervuren had a total population of 20,636...
near Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. In 1878 ill-heath compelled him to retire to Kerkrade, where he spent the remaining twenty-three years of his life in literary pursuits. He was one of the chief workers on Stimmen aus Maria Laach, to which he contributed numerous essays on literary subjects and most of the reviews of contemporary Catholic literature from 1874 to 1902.
Critical works
- Voltaire, Ein Beitrag zur Entstehungsgeschichte des Liberalismus (Freiburg, im Br., 1878, 2nd ed., 1884);
- Molieres Leben und Werke (Freiburg im Br., 1887; 2nd ed, 1897);
- Lebrecht Dreves. Ein Lebensbild (Freiburg im Br, 1897);
- a critical edition of the poems of Annette von Droste-HülshoffAnnette von Droste-HülshoffAnna Elisabeth von Droste-Hülshoff, known as Annette von Droste-Hülshoff , was a 19th century German author, and one of the most important German poets.-Biography:...
with an exhaustive biography of the Westphalian poet (Munster, 1884-6; 2nd ed., 1900 -); - a series of twenty-one articles in Stimmen aus Maria Laach on Blaise PascalBlaise PascalBlaise Pascal , was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen...
and his works. - He completed and published a biography of Klemens Brentano which had been begun by the friend of his youth, the Jesuit J. B. Diel, 2 vols., (Freiburg im Br., 1877); he also edited the other posthumous works of Diel, 2 vols. (Freiburg im Br., 1877);
- edited Clemens BrentanoClemens BrentanoClemens Brentano, or Klemens Brentano was a German poet and novelist.-Overview:He was born in Ehrenbreitstein, near Koblenz, Germany. His sister was Bettina von Arnim, Goethe's correspondent. His father's family was of Italian descent. He studied in Halle and Jena, afterwards residing at...
's Die Chronik des fahrenden Schulers (Munich, 1883; 2nd ed., 1888). - His last work was a collection of eight hundred aphorisms entitled Allerlei Weisheit (Paderborn, 1901).
Poetical works
- Heimatweisen aus der Fremde (Aachen, 1882), the second edition of which has many additional poems and is entitled Den weg entlang (Paderborn, 1889; 10th ed, 1904);
- translations of selections from the Provençal Christmas hymns of Louis Simon Lambert, entitled "Bethlehem" (Freiburg im Br, 1882; 2nd ed., 1895).