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 tr ...

during the last years of Goethe's life.

Biography

Eckermann was born at Winsen (Luhe) in

Harburg Harburg may refer to: Places in Germany * Harburg (district), Lower Saxony * Harburg, Bavaria * Harburg, Hamburg, a borough of Hamburg ** Harburg (quarter), the former Hanoveran city of Harburg upon Elbe, now a quarter of Hamburg * Harburg-Wilhe ...

, of humble parentage, and was brought up in penury and privation. After serving as a volunteer in the War of Liberation (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 i ...

, 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 (Germany), state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg an ...

, 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 Friedrich Wilhelm Riemer (19 April 1774 – 19 December 1845) was a German scholar and literary historian. He worked in the households of Wilhelm von Humboldt and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Biography Riemer was born at Glatz. He studied ...

(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 ''Gespräche mit Goethe'' (translation: ''Conversations with Goethe'', ''Conversations with Eckermann'') is a book by Johann Peter Eckermann recording his conversations with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe during the last nine years of the latter's lif ...

'' (vols: i. and ii. 1836; vol. iii. 1848; 7th ed., Leipzig, 1899; best edition by Ludwig Geiger, 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