Ernst Ortlepp (August 1, 1800 - June 14, 1864) was a German poet.
Ortlepp was born in
Droyßig near
Zeitz as the son of a
Lutheran priest. He went to school in
Pforta until he was 19 years old and then studied
theology and
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
in
Leipzig. He left the university in 1824 without taking a degree.
Ortlepp returned to Leipzig during the thirties of the 19th century and became famous for his political poems. Some of them were dedicated to
Poland and its struggle for independence. Around this time he became an acquaintance of the young
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
(Ortlepp also met
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe a few years before). His critical statements in ''Fieschi'' alarmed the
Austrian statesman
Metternich, who used his power to forbid the further publishment of this poem. Ortlepp finally became Leipzig's
persona non grata
In diplomacy, a ' (Latin: "person not welcome", plural: ') is a status applied by a host country to foreign diplomats to remove their protection of diplomatic immunity from arrest and other types of prosecution.
Diplomacy
Under Article 9 of the ...
in 1836.
He went to
Württemberg, where he lived since 1837. In this period he made a living by translating the works of other poets like
Lord Byron.
Ortlepp tried to create a national poem, which he called ''Germania'', during the
Revolution of 1848. His financial situation worsened and he was thrown out of Württemberg in 1853.
He then returned to his homeland.
Ortlepp's life became even more unstable, after his failed attempt to become a college-teacher in 1856. He got into some trouble, probably caused by alcoholism, and was imprisoned twice at Zeitz. That didn't