Friedrich Rückert
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Friedrich Rückert | |
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![]() Rückert portrait by Bertha Froriep (1864) | |
Born | Johann Michael Friedrich Rückert 16 May 1788 Schweinfurt, Holy Roman Empire |
Died | 31 January 1866 Neuseß, Coburg, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, German Confederation | (aged 77)
Resting place | Neuseß, Coburg |
Occupation | Professor of Oriental languages |
Language | German |
Nationality | German |
Education | University of Würzburg Heidelberg University |
Genre | German poems in the spirit of Oriental masters |
Years active | 1814–1866 |
Notable works | Die Weisheit des Brahmanen (The Wisdom of the Brahmins) and Liebesfrühling (Spring of Love) |
Spouse | Luise Wiethaus-Fischer |
Johann Michael Friedrich Rückert (16 May 1788 – 31 January 1866) was a German
Biography
Johann Michael Friedrich Rückert was born 16 May 1788 in
He was appointed a professor of Oriental languages at the
When Rückert began his literary career, Germany was at war with Napoleon; and in his first volume, Deutsche Gedichte (German Poems), published in 1814 under the pseudonym Freimund Raimar, he gave, particularly in the powerful Geharnischte Sonette (Sonnets in Arms/Harsh Words), vigorous expression to the prevailing sentiment of his countrymen. From 1815 to 1818, appeared Napoleon, eine politische Komödie in drei Stücken (Napoleon, a Political Comedy in Three Parts), of which only two parts were published. In 1817, Der Kranz der Zeit (The Wreath of Time), was published.[3]
He issued a collection of poems, Östliche Rosen (Eastern Roses), in 1822; and from 1834 to 1838 his Gesammelte Gedichte (Collected Poems) were published in six volumes, a selection which has passed through many editions.[3]
Rückert was master of thirty languages and made his mark chiefly as a translator of Oriental poetry and as a writer of poems conceived in the spirit of Oriental masters. Much attention was attracted by a translation of the Maqamat of Al-Hariri of Basra (Hariris Makamen) in 1826, Nal und Damajanti, an Indian tale, in 1828, Rostem und Suhrab, eine Heldengeschichte (Rostem and Suhrab, a Story of Heroes) in 1830, and Hamasa, oder die ältesten arabischen Volkslieder (Hamasa, or the Oldest Arabian Folk Songs) in 1846.[3]
Among his original writings dealing with Oriental subjects are:
- Morgenländische Sagen und Geschichten (Oriental Myths and Poems) (1837)
- Erbauliches und Beschauliches aus dem Morgenland (Edifying and Contemplative, from the Orient) (1836–1838)
- Brahmanische Erzählungen (Brahmin Stories) (1839).
The most elaborate of his works is Die Weisheit des Brahmanen (The Wisdom of the Brahmins), published in six volumes from 1836 to 1839. The former and Liebesfrühling (Spring of Love) (1844), a cycle of love-songs, are the best known of all Rückert's productions.[3]
From 1843 to 1845 he issued the dramas Saul und David (1843), Herodes der Große ("Herod the Great") (1844), Kaiser Heinrich IV (1845) and Christofero Colombo (1845), all of which are considered greatly inferior to the work to which he owes his place in German literature. At the time of the
Rückert died in 1866, aged 77, in Neuses , now part of Coburg. He is buried in the cemetery there.[2]: 113
Rückert's poetry was commonly set to music and there are about 121 settings of his work – making him the fourth most-set German poet, behind
Memorials
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Friedrich_R%C3%BCckert_Monument.jpg/220px-Friedrich_R%C3%BCckert_Monument.jpg)
A monument to Rückert is situated at Marktplatz in Schweinfurt. The monument of Rückert, whose birth house stands at the southeast corner of the town hall, has stood in the central square of Schweinfurt since 1890. It was created by architect Friedrich Ritter von Thiersch and sculptor Wilhelm von Rühmann. Allegorical figures from his works – Geharnischte Sonette ("Withering Sonnets") and Weisheit des Brahmanen ("Wisdom of the Brahmans") – are situated at the feet of the bronze Rückert.
Rückert is also commemorated by a small museum in his home at Neuses (now in Friedrich-Rückert-Strasse) and a park, Rückertpark which also features a memorial bust.[2]: 113
Literature
A comprehensive but by no means complete edition of Rückert's poetical works appeared in 12 volumes in 1868–1869. Subsequent editions have been edited by L. Laistner (1896), C. Beyer (1896), G. Ellinger (1897). See B. Fortlage, F. Rückert und seine Werke (1867); C. Beyer, Friedrich Rückert, ein biographisches Denkmal (1868), Neue Mitteilungen über Rückert (1873), and Nachgelassene Gedichte Rückerts und neue Beiträge zu dessen Leben und Schriften (1877); R. Boxberger, Rückert-Studien (1878); P. de Lagarde, Erinnerungen an F. Rückert (1886); F. Muncker, Friedrich Rückert (1890); G. Voigt, Rückerts Gedankenlyrik (1891).[3]
- Hans Wollschläger und Rudolf Kreutner (Ed.): Historisch-kritische Ausgabe in Einzelbänden, Schweinfurt 1998ff.; thus far 4 volumes in 5 parts (as of July 2004):
- Die Weisheit des Brahmanen, 2 volumes, 1998.
- Gedichte von Rom, 2000.
- Liedertagebuch I/II, 1846–1847, 2001
- Liedertagebuch III/IV, 1848–1849, 2002.
- Liedertagebuch V/VI, 1850–1851, Erster Band, 2003.
- Hans Wollschläger (Ed.): Kindertotenlieder [1993 also as insel taschenbuch 1545].
- Hartmut Bobzin (Ed.): Der Koran in der Übersetzung von Friedrich Rückert, 4th edition, Würzburg 2001.
- Friedrich Rückert: Firdosi's Königsbuch (Schahname) Sage I–XIII. Aus dem Nachlaß herausgegeben von E. A. Bayer. 1890. Nachdruck: epubli GmbH, Berlin, 2010 ISBN 978-3-86931-356-6
- Friedrich Rückert: Firdosi's Königsbuch (Schahname) Sage XX–XXVI. Aus dem Nachlaß herausgegeben von E. A. Bayer. Nachdruck der Erstausgabe. epubli Berlin, 2010, ISBN 978-3-86931-555-3. (Details)
- Wolfgang von Keitz (Hrsg.): Oestliche Rosen. epubli, Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-8442-0415-5. (Details)
In 1847, Rückert also translated select verses of the
Notes
- ^ Schweinfurt, Unterfranken, Bavaria, Germany. Evangelische Lutherisch Kirchenbuch: St. Johannis Taufen Register [Baptismal Register] 1787-1801 volume, p. 87, year 1788, month May. [Archion.de, image #48 in dataset.]
- ^ a b c Klüglein, Norbert (1991). Coburg Stadt und Land (German). Verkehrsverein Coburg.
- ^ a b c d e f g Chisholm 1911.
- ^ "Elise Schmezer Song Texts". lieder.net. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Sanjeevi, N. (1973). Bibliography on Tirukkural. In First All India Tirukkural Seminar Papers. Chennai: University of Madras. p. 147.
References
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Rückert, Johann Michael Friedrich". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 813. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
- Rückert, Friedrich. In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon. 4th edition. Volume 14, Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, Leipzig/Vienna 1885–1892, p. 6–7.
- Robert Boxberger (1889), "Rückert, Friedrich", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 29, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 445–453
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Works by Friedrich Rückert at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Friedrich Rückert at Internet Archive
- Works by Friedrich Rückert at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- List of song settings[permanent dead link]
- Poems of Friedrich Rueckert – complete listing
- New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
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- Flyer on Rückert published by the town of Coburg (German) Archived 18 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- Friedrich Rückert Obituary, The Atlantic Monthly (1866)