Jean Paul (; born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, 21 March 1763 – 14 November 1825) was a German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories.

Life and work

Jean Paul was born at

Wunsiedel (; Northern Bavarian: ''Wåuṉsieḏl'' or ''Wousigl'') is the seat of the Upper Franconian district of in northeast Bavaria, Germany. The town is the birthplace of poet Jean Paul. It also became known for its annual Festival and the Rudolf ...

, in the

Fichtel Mountains The Fichtel Mountains (, ; ) is a mountain range in Germany and the Czech Republic. They extend from the valley of the Red Main River in northeastern Bavaria to the Karlovy Vary Region in western Czech Republic. The Fichtel Mountains contain an ...

(

Franconia Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...

). His father was an organist at Wunsiedel. In 1765 his father became a pastor at Joditz near Hof and, in 1767 at Schwarzenbach, but he died on 25 April 1779, leaving the family in great poverty. Later in life, Jean Paul noted, "The words that a father speaks to his children in the privacy of home are not heard by the world, but as in whispering-galleries, they are clearly heard at the end and by posterity." After attending the ''Gymnasium'' at Hof, in 1781 Jean Paul went to the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

. His original intention was to enter his father's profession, but theology did not interest him, and he soon devoted himself wholly to the study of literature. Unable to maintain himself at Leipzig he returned in 1784 to Hof, where he lived with his mother. From 1787 to 1789, he served as a tutor at

Töpen Töpen is a municipality in Upper Franconia in the district of Hof in Bavaria in Germany. History Between 1945 and 1966 Töpen served as West German inner German border crossing for cars travelling between the Soviet Zone of occupation in Germ ...

, a village near Hof; and from 1790 to 1794, he taught the children of several families in a school he had founded in nearby Schwarzenbach. Jean Paul began his career as a man of letters with ''Grönländische Prozesse'' ("

Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...

Lawsuits"), published anonymously in Berlin in 1783–84, and ''Auswahl aus des Teufels Papieren'' ("Selections from the Devil's Papers", signed J. P. F. Hasus), published in 1789. These works were not received with much favour, and in later life even their author had little sympathy for their satirical tone. Jean Paul's outlook was profoundly altered by a spiritual crisis he suffered on 15 November 1790, in which he had a vision of his own death. His next book, ''Die unsichtbare Loge'' ("The Invisible Lodge"), a romance published in 1793 under the pen-name Jean Paul (in honour of

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan philosopher (''philosophes, philosophe''), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment through ...

), had all the qualities that were soon to make him famous, and its power was immediately recognized by some of the best critics of the day. Encouraged by the reception of ''Die unsichtbare Loge'', Richter composed a number of books in rapid succession: ''Leben des vergnügten Schulmeisterleins Maria Wutz in Auenthal'' ("Life of the Cheerful Schoolmaster Maria Wutz", 1793), the best-selling ''Hesperus'' (1795), which made him famous, ''Biographische Belustigungen unter der Gehirnschale einer Riesin'' ("Biographical Recreations under the Brainpan of a Giantess", 1796), ''Leben des Quintus Fixlein'' ("Life of Quintus Fixlein", 1796), ''Der Jubelsenior'' ("The Parson in Jubilee", 1797), and ''Das Kampaner Tal'' ("The Valley of Campan", 1797). Also among these was the novel '' Siebenkäs'' in 1796–97. '' Siebenkäs slightly

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

theme, involving a

Doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...

and pseudocide, stirred some controversy over its interpretation of the

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...

, but these criticisms served only to draw awareness to the author. This series of writings assured Richter a place in German literature, and during the rest of his life every work he produced was welcomed by a wide circle of admirers. After his mother's death in 1797, Richter went to

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

, and in the following year, to

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

, where he started work on his most ambitious novel, ''

Titan Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...

'', published between 1800 and 1803. Richter became friends with such Weimar notables as

Johann Gottfried Herder Johann Gottfried von Herder ( ; ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a Prussian philosopher, theologian, pastor, poet, and literary critic. Herder is associated with the Age of Enlightenment, ''Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism. He wa ...

, by whom he was warmly appreciated, but despite their close proximity, Richter never became close to

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

, both of whom found his literary methods repugnant; but in Weimar, as elsewhere, his remarkable conversational powers and his genial manners made him a favorite in general society. The British writers

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian, and philosopher. Known as the "Sage writing, sage of Chelsea, London, Chelsea", his writings strongly influenced the intellectual and artistic culture of the V ...

and

Thomas De Quincey Thomas Penson De Quincey (; Thomas Penson Quincey; 15 August 17858 December 1859) was an English writer, essayist, and literary critic, best known for his ''Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' (1821).Eaton, Horace Ainsworth, ''Thomas De Q ...

took an interest in Jean Paul's work. In 1801, he married Caroline Meyer, whom he had met in Berlin the year before. They lived first at

Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 26,000 (2024).

, then at

Coburg Coburg ( , ) is a Town#Germany, town located on the Itz (river), Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Ernestine duchies, Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only ...

; and finally, in 1804, they settled at

Bayreuth Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...

. Here Richter spent a quiet, simple, and happy life, constantly occupied with his work as a writer. In 1808 he was delivered from anxiety about outward necessities by Prince Primate

Karl Theodor von Dalberg Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg (8 February 1744 – 10 February 1817) was a Catholic German bishop and statesman. In various capacities, he served as Archbishop of Mainz, Prince of Regensburg, Arch-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, ...

, who gave him an annual pension of 1,000 florins, which was later continued by the king of Bavaria. Jean Paul's ''Titan'' was followed by ''Flegeljahre'' ("The Awkward Age", 1804–5). His later imaginative works were ''Dr Katzenbergers Badereise'' ("Dr Katzenberger's Trip to the Medicinal Springs", 1809), ''Des Feldpredigers Schmelzle Reise nach Flätz'' ("Army Chaplain Schmelzle's Voyage to Flätz", 1809), ''Leben Fibels'' ("Life of Fibel", 1812), and ''Der Komet, oder Nikolaus Marggraf'' ("The Comet, or, Nikolaus Markgraf", 1820–22). In ''Vorschule der Aesthetik'' ("Introduction to Aesthetics", 1804) he expounded his ideas on art; he discussed the principles of education in ''Levana, oder Erziehungslehre'' ("Levana, or, Pedagogy", 1807); and the opinions suggested by current events he set forth in ''Friedenspredigt'' ("Peace Sermon", 1808), ''Dämmerungen für Deutschland'' ("Twilights for Germany", 1809), ''Mars und Phöbus Thronwechsel im Jahre 1814'' ("Mars and Phoebus Exchange Thrones in the Year 1814", 1814), and ''Politische Fastenpredigten'' ("Political Lenten Sermons", 1817). In his last years he began ''Wahrheit aus Jean Pauls Leben'' ("The Truth from Jean Paul's Life"), to which additions from his papers and other sources were made after his death by C. Otto and E. Förster. Also during this time he supported the younger writer E. T. A. Hoffmann, who long counted Richter among his influences. Richter wrote the preface to ''Fantasy Pieces'', a collection of Hoffmann's short stories published in 1814. In September 1821 Jean Paul lost his only son, Max, a youth of the highest promise; and he never quite recovered from this shock. He lost his sight in 1824, and died of dropsy at Bayreuth, on 14 November 1825.

Characteristics of his work

Jean Paul occupies an unusual position in German literature and has always divided the literary public. Some hold him in highest veneration while others treat his work with indifference. He took the Romantic formlessness of the novel to extremes: Schlegel called his novels soliloquies, in which he makes his readers take part (in this respect going even further than

Laurence Sterne Laurence Sterne (24 November 1713 – 18 March 1768) was an Anglo-Irish novelist and Anglican cleric. He is best known for his comic novels ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'' (1759–1767) and ''A Sentimental Journey Thro ...

in ''

Tristram Shandy Tristram may refer to: Literature * the title character of ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'', a novel by Laurence Sterne * the title character of '' Tristram of Lyonesse'', an epic poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne *"Tristr ...

''). Jean Paul habitually played with a multitude of droll and bizarre ideas: his work is characterized by wild metaphors as well as by digressive and partly labyrinthine plots. He mixed contemplation with

literary theory Literary theory is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the methods for literary analysis. Culler 1997, p.1 Since the 19th century, literary scholarship includes literary theory and considerations of intellectual history, m ...

: alongside spirited irony the reader finds bitter

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...

and mild humour; next to soberly realistic passages there are romanticized and often ironically curtailed

idyll An idyll (, ; ; occasionally spelled ''idyl'' in American English) is a short poem, descriptive of rustic life, written in the style of Theocritus's short pastoral poems, the ''Idylls'' (Εἰδύλλια). Unlike Homer, Theocritus did not engag ...

social commentary Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...

and political statements. The quick changes of mood attracted the composer Schumann whose '' Papillons'' was inspired by Jean Paul's ''Flegeljahre''. His novels were especially admired by women. This was due to the empathy with which Jean Paul created the female characters in his works: never before in German literature were women represented with such psychological depth. At the same time however, his work contains misogynistic quips. Jean Paul's character may have been as diverse and as confusing as many of his novels: he was said to be very sociable and witty, while at the same time extremely sentimental: having an almost childlike nature, quickly moved to tears. It is obvious from his works that his interests encompassed not only literature but also astronomy and other sciences. Paul's relationship with the Weimar classicists

Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

and Schiller always remained ambivalent: Schiller once remarked that Jean Paul was as alien to him as someone who fell from the Moon, and that he might have been worthy of admiration "if he had made as good use of his riches as other men made of their poverty."

Herder A herder is a pastoralism, pastoral worker responsible for the care and management of a herd or flock of domestic animals, usually on extensive management, open pasture. It is particularly associated with nomadic pastoralism, nomadic or transhuma ...

and Wieland on the other hand fully appreciated his work and supported him. Although he always kept his distance from the classicists, who wanted to "absolutize" art, and although his theoretical approach (most notably in his ''Introduction to Aesthetics'') was considerably influenced by Romanticism, it would be misleading to call him a Romantic without qualification. Here too he kept his distance: with all his subjectivism he didn't absolutize the subject of the author as the Romantics often did. Jean Paul had what had become rare amidst classical severity and romantic irony: humour. He also was one of the first who approached humour from a theoretical standpoint. He thought that both the Enlightenment and

metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of ...

had failed, though they still held importance for his worldview. He arrived at a philosophy without illusions, and a state of humorous resignation. Correspondingly he was one of the first defenders of

Schopenhauer Arthur Schopenhauer ( ; ; 22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher. He is known for his 1818 work '' The World as Will and Representation'' (expanded in 1844), which characterizes the phenomenal world as the manife ...

's philosophy. He didn't try to indoctrinate but to portray human happiness, even (and especially) in an increasingly alienated environment — the rococo castles and bleak villages of Upper Franconia. Jean Paul was not only the first to use and name the literary motif of the

, he also utilised it in countless variations (e.g. Siebenkäs and Leibgeber, Liane and Idoine, Roquairol and Albano). In his novel ''Siebenkäs'' he defines the ''Doppelgänger'' as the "people who see themselves." Jean Paul was a lifelong defender of

freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic Media (communication), media, especially publication, published materials, shoul ...

and his campaigns against censorship went beyond many of his contemporaries. In his ''Freiheitsbüchlein'' (1805), he maintains that books belong to humanity and should have the chance to have an impact on all times, not just the present moment, and therefore preventing a book from being published renders the censor a judge not just for contemporary society but for all future societies. Censorship is not feasible because it would be impossible to find a person able to fulfill the true requirements of the office. After the great achievements of the eighteenth century, the prospect of complete freedom of opinion, speech, and printing was real. Even under the tightened conditions of the Napoleonic occupation, Jean Paul continued to speak out in favor of reason, as in his ''Friedens-Predigt an Deutschland'' (1808). The last section of his ''Politische Fastenpredigten'' (1816) contains a warning to rulers that minds cannot be controlled, and that police action will only cause them to eventually explode like a champagne bottle.

Other

Rudolf Steiner Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (; 27 or 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian occultist, social reformer, architect, esotericist, and claimed clairvoyant. Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century ...

edited a multi-volume collection of the works of Jean Paul. In published lectures, Steiner often mentioned the realization by the 7-year-old Jean Paul that he was an individual "Ego", expressed in Paul's surprise at understanding that "I am an I".

Quotations

* The long sleep of death closes our scars, and the short sleep of life our wounds. (''Der lange Schlaf des Todes schliesst unsere Narben zu, und der kurze des Lebens unsere Wunden'', ''Hesperus'', XX).

Works

* '' Abelard und Heloise'' 1781 * '' Grönländische Prozesse'' 1783–1784 * '' Auswahl aus des Teufels Papieren'' 1789 * '' Leben des vergnügten Schulmeisterlein Maria Wutz in Auenthal. Eine Art Idylle'' 1790 * '' Die unsichtbare Loge'' 1793 * ''

Hesperus In Greek mythology, Hesperus (; ) is the Evening Star, the planet Venus in the evening. A son of the dawn goddess Eos ( Roman Aurora), he is the half-brother of her other son, Phosphorus (also called Eosphorus; the "Morning Star"). Hesperus' Rom ...

'' 1795 * '' Biographische Belustigungen'' 1796 * '' Leben des Quintus Fixlein'' 1796 * '' Siebenkäs'' 1796 * '' Der Jubelsenior'' 1797 * '' Das Kampaner Tal'' 1797 * '' Konjekturalbiographie'' 1798 * '' Des Luftschiffers Giannozzo Seebuch'' 1801 * ''

'' 1800–03 * '' Vorschule der Aesthetik'' 1804 * '' Flegeljahre'' (unfinished) 1804–05 * '' Freiheitsbüchlein'' 1805 * '' Levana oder Erziehlehre'' 1807 * '' Dr. Katzenbergers Badereise'' 1809 * '' Des Feldpredigers Schmelzle Reise nach Flätz'' 1809 * '' Leben Fibels'' 1812 * '' Bemerkungen über uns närrische Menschen'' * '' Clavis Fichtiana'' (see also

Johann Gottlieb Fichte Johann Gottlieb Fichte (; ; 19 May 1762 – 29 January 1814) was a German philosopher who became a founding figure of the philosophical movement known as German idealism, which developed from the theoretical and ethical writings of Immanuel Ka ...

) * '' Das heimliche Klaglied der jetzigen Männer'' * '' Der Komet'' 1820–1822 * '' Der Maschinenmann'' * '' Die wunderbare Gesellschaft in der Neujahrsnacht'' * '' Freiheits-Büchlein'' * '' Selberlebenbeschreibung'' posthum 1826 * '' Selina'' posthum 1827

English translations

Most of Richter's long novels were translated into English during the mid-nineteenth century. Several editions of translated passages from various works were also published (see the last two entries in this list). * ''The Invisible Lodge'', trans. Charles T. Brooks, New York: Holt 1883
Project Gutenberg
* ''Maria Wutz'' (various editions) ** ''Maria Wuz'', trans. Francis and Rose Storr, ''Maria Wuz and Lorenz Stark'', London: Longmans, Green, & Co, 1881 ** ''Maria Wutz'', trans. John D. Grayson, ''19th Century German Tales'', ed. Angel Flores, 1959, reissued 1966 ** ''Maria Wutz'', trans. Erika Casey, ''The Jean Paul Reader'', Johns Hopkins U, 1990 ** ''Maria Wutz'', trans. Francis and Rose Storr and Ruth Martin, Sublunary Editions, 2021 * ''Hesperus'', trans. Charles Brooks, 1864 , At Project Gutenberg
Vol. 1Vol. 2
* ''Biographical Recreations from the Cranium of a Giantess'', trans. Genese Grill & anonymous, Sublunary Editions, 2023 * ''Siebenkäs'' ** ''Flower, Fruit, and Thorn Pieces'', trans. Edward Henry Noel, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1863 ** ''Flower, Fruit, and Thorn Pieces'', trans. Alexander Ewing, 1877
Project Gutenberg
* ''The Campaner Thal: or, Discourses on the Immortality of the Soul'', trans. Juliette Bauer, 1848
Project Gutenberg
* ''Life of Quintus Fixlein'' and ''Army Chaplain Schmelzle's Journey to Flaetz'', trans.

, 1827
Project Gutenberg
* ''Titan'', trans. Charles Brooks (London, 1863; Boston, 1864) , At Project Gutenberg
Vol. 1Vol. 2
* ''Horn of Oberon: Jean Paul Richter's School for Aesthetics'', trans. Margaret R Hale, Wayne State UP, 1973 * ''Walt and Vult'' 'Flegeljahre''trans. Eliza Lee, 1846 * ''Levana; or, the Doctrine of Education'', trans. "A. H.", 1848, 1863, 1884, 1886, 1890 * ''The Death of an Angel & Other Pieces'', 1839 * ''Reminiscences of the Best Hours of Life for the Hour of Death'', trans. Joseph Dowe, 1841

Musical reception (selection)

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

: '' Papillons pour le pianoforte seul'', 1832. * Johann Friedrich Kittl: ''Wär' ich ein Stern'', 1838. * Robert Schumann: '' Blumenstück'', 1839. * Carl Grünbaum: ''Lied'' (Es zieht in schöner Nacht der Sternenhimmel), 1840. * Ernst Friedrich Kauffmann: ''Ständchen nach Jean Paul'', 1848. * Carl Reinecke: ''O wär' ich ein Stern'' (from: Flegeljahre), 1850. * Stephen Heller: ''Blumen-, Frucht- und Dornenstücke'' (Nuits blanches), 1850. * Marta von Sabinin: ''O wär ich ein Stern'', 1855. * Ernst Methfessel: ''An Wina'', 1866. *

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and ...

: Symphony No. 1 "Titan", 1889. * Ferdinand Heinrich Thieriot: ''Leben und Sterben des vergnügten Schulmeisterlein Wuz'', 1900. * Hugo Leichtentritt: ''Grabschrift des Zephyrs'', 1910. * Henri Sauguet: ''Polymetres'', 1936. * Eduard Künnecke: ''Flegeljahre'', 1937. * Karl Kraft: ''Fünf kleine Gesänge auf Verse des Jean Paul für Singstimme und Klavier'', 1960. * Walter Zimmermann: ''Glockenspiel für einen Schlagzeuger'', 1983. * Wolfgang Rihm: ''Andere Schatten'' (from: Siebenkäs), 1985. * Oskar Sala: ''Rede des toten Christus vom Weltgebäude herab, dass kein Gott sei'', 1990. * Iván Erőd: ''Blumenstück für Viola solo'', 1995. * Thomas Beimel: ''Idyllen'', 1998/99. * Christoph Weinhart: ''Albanos Traum'', 2006. * Georg Friedrich Haas: ''Blumenstück'' (from: Siebenkäs), 2009. * Ludger Stühlmeyer: ''Zum Engel der letzten Stunde'' (from: Das Leben des Quintus Fixlein), 2013.

Notes

References

* Attribution: *

External links

* * * * * *
Jean Paul's works
at Projekt Gutenberg-DE (in German) * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jean Paul 1763 births 1825 deaths People from Wunsiedel People from the Principality of Bayreuth 18th-century German novelists 19th-century German novelists German male novelists Writers from Bavaria 19th-century German male writers German blind people German writers with disabilities Deaths from edema 18th-century German male writers