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 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 ...

during the last years of Goethe's life.

Biography

Eckermann was born at Winsen (Luhe) in Harburg,

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

, 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 (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 ...

, which, however, after one year's residence as a student of law, he left in 1822. His acquaintance with Goethe 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), 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 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 volumes (1839–1840). He died at Weimar on 3 December 1854. Eckermann's '' Gespräche mit Goethe'' (vols: i. and ii. 1836; volume iii. 1848; 7th edition, 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; Allan Blunde
2022
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. While he was privately educated, it is reported that he was mos ...

, 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, volume 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