Creativity and biography of Friedrich Schiller

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The universally recognized classic of world literature is Friedrich Schiller. His biography and work reveal the personality of a rebel, a person who does not consider himself, in an era of general lawlessness, the property of a feudal lord. His feat in life impressed even the most august person, which we will discuss later. The life of a poet and playwright itself resembles a theatrical drama, where Talent fights discrimination, poverty and wins.

Europeans have chosen the anthem of the European Union for its "Ode to Joy". Set to music by Ludwig van Beethoven, it sounded solemn, sublime.

The genius of this man manifested itself in many ways: a poet, playwright, art theorist, fighter for human rights.

Born Not Free

When Schiller Friedrich was born, serfdom was still relevant in Germany.

Subjects of the feudal lords could not leave the territory of their overlord. And if this happened, then the fugitives were returned by force. The subject could neither change his trade,to which he was "attached" by the feudal lord, nor marry without the permission of his master. In such a nightmarish legal status, reminiscent of an iron cage, was Friedrich Schiller.

He became a classic, rather, not because of contemporary German society, but in spite of it. Frederick, figuratively speaking, managed to enter the Temple of Art through a door closed to him by a state with remnants of the Middle Ages.

Only in 1807 (Schiller died in 1805) did Prussia abolish serfdom.

Parents

Schiller's biography begins in the Duchy of Württemberg (the city of Marbach am Neckar), where he was born on 1759-10-11 in the family of an officer, regimental paramedic Johann Kaspar Schiller. The mother of the future poet was from a family of pharmacists and innkeepers. Her name was Elizabeth Dorothea Codweiss. The atmosphere of clean, tidy and intelligent poverty reigned in his parents' house.

The father and mother of Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (such is the full name of the classic) were very religious and raised their children in the same spirit. The father of the future poet, who came from a peasant wine-making family, was lucky enough to get a medical education. He became an official under his master, an intelligent man, but not free. He changed places of residence, positions, following the will of his master.

Education

When the boy was five years old, the family moved to the city of the same county of Lorch. My father got a government job there as a recruiter. For three years pastor Lorch, a kind man, was engaged in Friedrich's primary church and humanitarian education,who managed to interest the boy in Latin, German, catechism.

When seven-year-old Schiller moved to Ludwigsburg with his family, he was able to attend a Latin school. At the age of 23, an educated young man was confirmed (the right to approach communion). At first, he dreamed of becoming a priest, following the charisma of his teachers.

Feudal Despot

Schiller's biography in his youth turned into a series of suffering due to failure to comply with the will of the Duke of Württemberg. He ordered his serf to study at the military academy of jurisprudence of the legal profession. Schiller could not live someone else's life, he ignored classes. Three years later, the young man was ranked last in a peer group of 18.

In 1776 he moved to the Faculty of Medicine, where he was interested in studying. But in teaching medicine, he was attracted by secondary subjects - philosophy, literature. In 1777, the reputable magazine German Chronicle published the first work of the young Schiller, the ode "The Conqueror", written in imitation of the beloved poet Friedrich Klopstock.

Schiller's biography, as follows from the above, is not a "major" story. The guy who did not fulfill the order to become a lawyer was disliked by the tyrant duke. By his will, a 29-year-old graduate of the academy received only the post of regimental doctor, without an officer's rank. It seemed to the despot that he managed to break the life of the disgraced young man, but Friedrich Schiller had already felt the power of his talent by that time.

Talent makes itself known

The 32-year-old playwright is writing the drama The Robbers. No onethe publisher from Stuttgart does not undertake to print such a serious work of a slave, fearing a conflict with the almighty Duke of Württemberg. Showing perseverance, declaring himself to the public, Friedrich Schiller himself publishes it. His biography as a playwright begins with this work.

The impudent subject, who published the drama "Robbers" at his own expense, turned out to be a winner. And Fate sent him a gift. A bookseller friend introduced him to the art connoisseur, Baron von Dahlberg, who was in charge of the Mingham Theatre. Drama after minor edits became the highlight of the next theatrical season in Prussia!

The author is full of courage, he revels in talent. In the same period, Schiller published his first collection of poems, An Anthology for 1782. He seems to reach any height! He competes for the championship in the Swabian school of poetry with Gotthald Steidlin, who had previously released his "Collection of Muses". To give the image of scandal to his collection, the poet indicates the place of publication of the city of Tobolsk.

Hunt and escape

The biography of Schiller at that time is marked by a banal flight to the county of the Palatinate. On September 22, 1782, he took this risky step together with his friend Streicher, a pianist and composer. The Duke of Württemberg was unwavering in his desire to turn the future classic into a state servant.

Schiller was sent to the guardhouse for two weeks for leaving the regiment to attend the theatrical production of "Robbers". At the same time, he was forbidden to write.

Friends, not without reason, feared intrigues fromside of the Archduke. Schiller changed his name to Schmidt. Therefore, they settled not in the city of Mannheim itself, but in the hunting yard inn in the suburban village of Oggersheim.

Schiller hoped to make money with his new play Fiesco's Conspiracy in Genoa. However, the fee was meagre. Being in poverty, he was forced to ask for help from Henriette von Walzogen. She generously allowed the playwright to live in her empty estate.

Living under a false name

From 1782 to 1783 he hid in the estate of a benefactress under the assumed name Dr. Ritter Friedrich Schiller. His biography during this period is a description of the life of an outcast who chose risk in order to be able to develop his talent. He studies history and writes the plays Louise Miller and The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa. To the credit of his friend, Andrei Streicher, he made great efforts so that the director of the Mannheim Theater, Baron von Dahlberg, drew attention to the work of a friend. Schiller informs the baron about his new plays by letter, and he agrees to host them!

During this period (1983) Henriette von Walzogen visits the estate with her young daughter Charlotte. Schiller falls in love with a girl and asks his mother for permission to marry her, but is refused because of his poverty. He moves to Mannheim to prepare his works for staging.

Finding freedom. Getting a formal position

If the play "The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa" on the stage of the Mannheim Theater takes place as an ordinary production, then "Louise Miller" (renamed "Deceit and Love") brings a resounding success. In 1784, Schiller entered the localGerman society, while receiving the right to legalize their status by becoming a Palatinate subject, and finally draw a line under the persecution of the Archduke.

He, who has his own views on the development of the German theater, is respected as a famous playwright. He writes his work "Theater - a moral institution", which has become a classic.

Soon, Schiller begins a brief affair with a married woman, Charlotte von Kalb. The writer, inclined towards mysticism, led a bohemian lifestyle. This lady considered the young poet as her next trophy in a series of women's victories.

She introduced Schiller in Darmstadt to Archduke Karl August. The playwright read the first act of the drama Don Carlos to him. Surprised and delighted with the talent of the author, the nobleman granted the writer the position of adviser. This gave the playwright only a social status, nothing more. However, this did not change his life.

Soon, Schiller quarrels and breaks the contract with the director of the Mannheim Theater. He considers the author of his hit productions dependent on his will and money, trying to put pressure on Schiller.

Leipzig welcomes desperate poet

Friedrich Schiller remained the same unsettled in life. His biography is not the first time preparing a blow in his personal life. Due to poverty, he is denied marriage by Margarita Schwan, the daughter of a court bookseller. However, soon his life changes for the better. Leipzig appreciated his work.

The playwright has long been persistently invited there by fans of his work, organized ina society run by Gottfried Kerner. Driven to the extreme (he still has not repaid the debt of 200 guilders taken for the publication of The Robbers), the writer turned to his admirers with a request for material assistance. To his joy, he soon received a bill from Leipzig for an amount sufficient to pay off his debts and move to live where he is valued. Friendship with Gottfried Kerner connected the classic for the rest of his life.

17.04.1785 Schiller arrives in a hospitable city.

At this time, the classic falls in love for the third time, but again unsuccessfully: Margarita Schwan refuses him. The classic, who has gone into black despondency, is influenced by his benefactor, Gottfried Kerner. He dissuades a romantic friend from committing suicide by first inviting Friedrich to his wedding to Minna Stock.

Warmed by friendship and having experienced a severe spiritual crisis, F. Schiller writes a brilliant ode “To Joy” by F. Schiller for the wedding of his friend.

The biography of the writer, who settled at the invitation of the same Kerner in the village of Loschwitz adjacent to Dresden, is marked by remarkable works: “Philosophical Letters”, the drama “The Misanthrope”, the modified drama “Don Carlos”. In terms of creative fruitfulness, this period resembles Pushkin's Boldino autumn.

Schiller becomes famous. The playwright rejects an offer from the Hamburg Theater to stage his plays. The memories of the difficulties in cooperation and the break with the Mannheim Theater are too fresh.

Weimar period: a departure from creativity. Tuberculosis

On August 21, 1787, he arrives in Weimar at the invitation of the poetChristoph Wieland. He is accompanied by his mistress, an old acquaintance, Charlotte von Kalb. With connections in high society, she introduces Schiller to leading German writers Johann Herder and Martin Wieland.

The poet begins to publish the magazine "Thalia", published in the "German Mercury". Here, for almost a decade, he departs from creativity, taking up self-education in the field of history. His knowledge is highly valued, and in 1788 he becomes a professor at the University of Jena.

He lectures on world history and poetry, and translates Virgil's Aeneid. Schiller receives a salary of 200 thalers a year. This is a fairly small income, but it allows him to plan his future.

The poet decides to arrange his life and marries Charlotte von Lengefeld. But four years later, fate prepares a new test for him: speaking in cold classrooms and becoming infected from his student, Friedrich Schiller falls ill with tuberculosis. Interesting facts in his biography testify to the charisma, integrity of the personality. The disease crosses out his teaching career, chains him to bed, but calm human courage often wins fate.

A new stage of destiny

As if by a wave of higher powers, his friends help him in difficult times. Even now, when Schiller's illness made it impossible to work, the Danish writer Jens Baggens persuaded the Prince of Holstein and Count Schimmelmann to appoint a subsidy of a thousand thalers for the treatment of classics.

Iron will and financial assistance raised the bedridden patient to his feet. He could not teach, and his friend, publisher Johann Kotta provided an opportunity to earn money. Soon Schiller moves to a new stage of creativity. Ironically, it begins with a tragic event: the poet was summoned by his dying father, who at that time lived in Ludwigsburg.

This event was expected: previously, the father was seriously ill for a long time. A classic, in addition to the filial duty of saying goodbye to his father, was also attracted by the opportunity to hug and comfort his three sisters and his mother, whom he had not seen for eighteen years!

Perhaps that is why he did not go on his own, but together with his pregnant wife.

Staying in his small homeland, the poet receives a powerful spiritual stimulus - to develop creativity.

A month and a half after his father's funeral, he visited his alma mater, the military academy. He was pleasantly surprised by the fact that he was an idol for students. They greeted him enthusiastically: before them stood a legend - Schiller Friedrich, poet No. 1 in Prussia. Touched by the classic, after this visit, he wrote his famous work “Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man.”

His first child was born in Ludwigsburg. He is finally happy. But he only has seven years left to live…

The poet returned to the city of Jena, being in a state of creative upsurge. His faceted talent shines with renewed vigor! Schiller, after ten years of in-depth study of history, literary theory, aesthetics, returns to poetry again.

He managed to attract all the best poets of Prussia to participate in the magazine "Ory". In 1795, philosophical poetic works come out from under his pen:"Dance", "Poetry of Life", "Hope", "Genius", "Dividing the Earth".

Cooperation with Goethe

Among the poets invited by Schiller to the Ora magazine was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Their creative souls entered into a resonance that spurred the creation of many priceless pearls from the necklace of 18th-century German classical literature.

They had a common vision of the civilizational significance of the Great French Revolution, ways of developing German literature, rethinking ancient art. Goethe and Schiller criticized the contemporary literature's treatment of religious, political, aesthetic and philosophical issues. Moral and civic pathos sounded in their letters. Two brilliant poets who chose a literary direction for themselves competed with each other in its development:

• from December 1795 – in writing epigrams;
• in 1797 - in writing ballads.

The friendly correspondence between Goethe and Schiller is a wonderful example of epistolary art.

The last stage of creativity. Weimar

In 1799 Friedrich Schiller returns to Weimar. The works written by him and Goethe served to develop the German theater. They became the dramatic basis for creating the best theater in Germany - Weimar.

However, Schiller's strength is running out. In 1800, he completed writing his swan song - the tragedy "Mary Stuart", a deep composition that has success and a wide resonance in society.

In 1802year, the emperor of Prussia grants the nobility to the poet. However, Schiller was ironic about this. His young and best mature years were full of hardships, and now the newly minted nobleman felt that he was dying. He humanly wanted to reject the useless title for himself, but he accepted it, thinking only about his children.

He was often ill, suffering from chronic pneumonia. Against this background, tuberculosis worsened, leading him to an untimely death in the prime of his talent and at the age of 45.

Conclusion

Without exaggeration, we can say that Johann Goethe and Friedrich Schiller have been and will be the favorite poets of the Germans at all times. The photo of the monument, which forever depicts two friends living in Weimar, is familiar to every German. Their contribution to literature is invaluable: the classics led it to the path of a new humanism, summarizing the ideas of the Enlightenment, romanticism and classicism.