Johannes Wilhelm Meinhold (27 February 1797Bridgwater (2000), p. 213. – 30 November 1851) was a

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

n priest and author.

Life

Meinhold was born in Lütow on the island of

Usedom Usedom (german: Usedom , pl, Uznam ) is a Baltic Sea island in Pomerania, divided between Germany and Poland. It is the second largest Pomeranian island after Rügen, and the most populous island in the Baltic Sea. It is north of the Szczecin ...

, where his father Georg Wilhelm Meinhold (1767–1728) was a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

priest. Growing up in the atmosphere of the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, he enrolled as a student at the

University of Greifswald The University of Greifswald (; german: Universität Greifswald), formerly also known as “Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald“, is a public research university located in Greifswald, Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pom ...

Swedish Pomerania Swedish Pomerania ( sv, Svenska Pommern; german: Schwedisch-Pommern) was a dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815 on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held ...

in the fall of 1813. After his theological education, he was priest in

Koserow Koserow is a municipality on Usedom Island, in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. A small coastal bathing resort, Koserow lies on an isthmus on the island of Usedom on the Baltic Sea, near the border with Pola ...

on Usedom from 1821 until 1827.Goetz (2007), p. 81. For the next 17 years, he was priest in Krummin, also on Usedom, before he relocated to

Farther Pomerania Farther Pomerania, Hinder Pomerania, Rear Pomerania or Eastern Pomerania (german: Hinterpommern, Ostpommern), is the part of Pomerania which comprised the eastern part of the Duchy and later Province of Pomerania. It stretched roughly from the Od ...

. He retired early on account of his insubordinate behavior and died in 1851 in

Berlin-Charlottenburg Charlottenburg () is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Prussia, it is best known for Charlottenburg Palace, the l ...

.Dubilski (2003), p. 109. Meinhold was a poet, playwright, and novelist.Mike Ashley (1977) ''Who's Who in Horror and Fantasy Fiction'', p. 130.

Works

Meinhold's best known works are two historical

Gothic romance Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

novels: * ''Maria Schweidler, die Bernsteinhexe'', which was first published anonymously in 1838. It was translated into English as '' The Amber Witch'' by

Lucie, Lady Duff-Gordon Lucie, Lady Duff-Gordon ( Austin; 24 June 1821 – 14 July 1869) was an English author and translator who wrote as Lucie Gordon. She is best known for her ''Letters from Egypt, 1863–1865'' (1865) and ''Last Letters from Egypt'' (1875), most ...

(1821–1869) in 1843. * ''Sidonia von Bork, die Klosterhexe'' (1847), which was translated into English as ''Sidonia the Sorceress'' by

Jane Wilde Jane Francesca Agnes, Lady Wilde (née Elgee; 27 December 1821 – 3 February 1896) was an Irish poet under the pen name Speranza and supporter of the nationalist movement. Lady Wilde had a special interest in Irish folktales, which she help ...

, the mother of Oscar Wilde, in 1849. The book was printed by

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

' Kelmscott Press in 1894. (See Sidonia von Borcke.)

References

Source list

* * *

External links

Sidonia von Bork die Klosterhexe, original German Text 1847-1848
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Meinhold, Wilhelm 1797 births 1851 deaths People from Vorpommern-Greifswald German historical novelists Romanticism People from the Province of Pomerania German male novelists 19th-century German novelists