Magnus Gottfried Lichtwer

Magnus Gottfried Lichtwer the Younger ( born January 30, 1719 Wurzen; † July 7, 1783 in Halberstadt ) was a German jurist and writer of fables in the Age of Enlightenment.

Life

Magnus Gottfried Lichtwer was the son of the lawyer Magnus Gottfried Lichtwer the Elder and his wife Dorothea Magdalena Wichmannshausen. As Lichtwer was two years old, his father died and the boy was henceforth promoted by his guardian, the pen Chancellor tooth. This enabled him to 1743 to study at the University of Leipzig ( history, law, philosophy). Later Lichtwer joined the University of Wittenberg, where already the following year as Dr. jur it. was able to complete his studies successfully. In the same month reached Lichtwer the degree of Master of Philosophy. In 1742 he had joined the three palm trees in Leipzig the Masonic Lodge Minerva.

Due to an accident Lichtwer almost completely lost his sight, but what prevented him neither in his career still in his literary work. His first job was Lichtwer at the University of Wittenberg, where from 1747 he came to know the works of the philosopher Christian Wolff, as Lichtwer held there as a private legal philosophy lectures. Wolff's philosophy inspired Lichtwer 1758 for publication of the didactic poem " The law of reason."

The publisher Wolfgang Deer supported Lichtwer that he could publish his " Aesop's Fables " in 1748. These fables are quite to see them as separate works, but betray a certain proximity to Fear God Christian Gellert. On the occasion Lichtwers centennial published Jakob Minor whose fables in the series German National Literature.

1749 married Lichtwer in Wittenberg Henriette Sophie Albinus and had with her three daughters. He and his family settled in Halberstadt. In 1751 he became the " Real power. Royal. Government counsel appointed in the principality of Halberstadt " and thus got a job in the administration. His career has taken over the duties of a Consistorial (1760 ) to that of a criminal judge ( 1762) and let Lichtwer little time for his literary ambitions. How can it be explained that although Lichtwer became friendly with Johann Christoph Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim Gottsched and, but for the Halberstadt poet circle of "Father Gleim " only marginally had contact.

As a judge Lichtwer was later deputy in the country deputation.

Lichtwer died at the age of 64 years on July 7, 1783 in Halberstadt. 45 years after his death, published his grandson Ernst Ludwig of pot along with Friedrich Cramer a biography of his grandfather, along with his writings.

Works (selection)

• Writings. Brüggemann, Halberstadt 1828
• Four books Aesopian fables in bound style of writing. Leipzig 1748
• The law of reason. A didactic poem. Leipzig 1758
• Blind zeal only hurts! Fables, didactic poems. Reclam, Leipzig 1983
• Lichtwer and Gottsched. Correspondence, fables, book reviews. Edited by Walter Hettche. Aisthesis, Bielefeld 2003