Johann Peter Eckermann (21 September 1792 – 3 December 1854), German poet and author, is best known for his work '' Conversations with Goethe'', the fruit of his association with

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...

during the last years of Goethe's life.

Biography

Eckermann was born at

Winsen (Luhe) Winsen (Luhe) () is the capital of the district of Harburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the small river Luhe, near its confluence with the Elbe, approx. 25 km southeast of Hamburg, and 20 km northwest of Lüneburg. Hi ...

in Harburg, of humble parentage, and was brought up in penury and privation. After serving as a volunteer in the

War of Liberation Wars of national liberation or national liberation revolutions are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) to establish separat ...

(1813–1814), he obtained a secretarial appointment under the war department at Hanover. In 1817, although twenty-five years of age, he was enabled to attend the gymnasium of Hanover and afterwards the

university of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...

, which, however, after one year's residence as a student of law, he left in 1822. His acquaintance with GoetheGoethe's Theory of Colours, Part II: Physical Colours, Eastlake's Note L
/ref> began in the following year, when Eckermann sent to Goethe the manuscript of ''Beiträge zur Poesie'' (1823). Soon afterwards he went to

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...

, where he supported himself as a private tutor. For several years he also instructed the son of the grand duke. In 1830 he travelled in Italy with Goethe's son. In 1838 he was given the title of grand-ducal councillor and appointed librarian to the grand-duchess.

Writings

Eckermann is chiefly remembered for his important contributions to the knowledge of the great poet contained in his '' Conversations with Goethe'' (1836–1848). To Eckermann Goethe entrusted the publication of his ''Nachgelassene Schriften'' (posthumous works) (1832–1833). He was also joint-editor with Friedrich Wilhelm Riemer (1774–1845) of the complete edition of Goethe's works in 40 vols (1839–1840). He died at Weimar on 3 December 1854. Eckermann's '' Gespräche mit Goethe'' (vols: i. and ii. 1836; vol. iii. 1848; 7th ed., Leipzig, 1899; best edition by

Ludwig Geiger Ludwig Geiger (born ''Lazarus Abraham Geiger'', also called ''Ludwig Moritz Philipp Geiger''; 5 June 1848 – 9 February 1919) was a German author and historian. Life Ludwig Geiger was born at Breslau, Silesia, a son of Abraham Geiger. After st ...

, Leipzig, 1902) have been translated into almost all the European languages, (English translations by

Margaret Fuller Sarah Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850), sometimes referred to as Margaret Fuller Ossoli, was an American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women's rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movemen ...

, Boston, 1839, and

John Oxenford John Oxenford (12 August 1812 – 21 February 1877) was an English dramatist, critic and translator. Life Oxenford was born in Camberwell, London, his father a prosperous merchant. Whilst he was privately educated, it is reported that he was m ...

, London, 1850). Besides this work and the ''Beiträge zur Poesie'', Eckermann published a volume of poems (Gedichte, 1838. See ''J. P. Eckermanns Nachlaß'' edited by Friedrich Tewes, vol. i. (1905), and an article by RM Meyer in the ''Goethe-Jahrbuch'', xvii. (1896)).

Notes

References

* Attribution *

External links

* 1792 births 1854 deaths 19th-century German poets 19th-century German male writers German military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars People from the Electorate of Hanover Johann Wolfgang von Goethe German Lutherans German male poets {{Germany-poet-stub