Claus Fasting

Claus Fasting ( born October 29, 1746 Bergen, † December 25, 1791 in Bergen ) was a Norwegian editor, writer and critic.

His parents were the priest Frederik Fasting (1718-1769) and his wife Gerhardine ( " Gertke " ) of Güllich ( 1716-1770 ). He remained unmarried.

Fasting was an important person in the Norwegian intellectual life in the late 18th century and the first Norwegian modern prose writer.

Fasting was initially taught privately and then attended from 1759 to 1761 the Latin School. In 1762 he was in Copenhagen, the examination in philosophy. Then he returned to Bergen. There he studied theology privately, and put 1766 in Copenhagen, the theological state exam. After completing his studies he remained in Copenhagen, became editor in a smaller newspaper and worked intensively with French and English literature and philosophy. He also learned to play the piano and was an accomplished pianist. He also gave piano lessons. In 1768 he returned to Bergen. There he became a private teacher and co-founder of the Musikverein " Det frivillige Harmonisters Akademi ", whose secretary he was 1777. After the death of his parents, he turned away from theology and returned in 1770 back to Copenhagen. During this time he became a member of " Det Norske Selskab ". Few were so well versed as he in contemporary and older European literature. This formation and its striking epigrams made ​​him in this society a central figure. He suffered from constant need of money, and in his 1770s, he earned his living as a private tutor, translator for the theater and was a volunteer in the archives of Rentkammer. He was also secretary of the lottery for a while.

In 1772, he wrote to a competition brief of the royal theater for the best tragedy his play Hermione in the French Alexandrinerstil, which was not accepted. Some comedies were performed by him without much success at the Royal Theatre. He also wrote a little poetry. It quickly became clear that he was not a great poet. He secured his place in Norwegian literary history through his literary criticism and his prose. 1773 he was with friends published the magazine Kritisk Journal and 1775-1776 Kritisk Tilskuer ( The critical audience ), where he unsuccessfully anschrieb with biting satire against the mediocrity.

In 1777 he returned to Bergen and remained there until his death. Disappointments, debts and his hypochondria caused him to create. 1778-1781 he was the Provincial leaf out in four volumes, written by himself to a few books. The sheet was entertaining and instructive and dealt with very different themes. Besides moralizing texts, there are also essays on well-known contemporary people, for example, Voltaire, and many translations. His models were Frederik Sneedorff and the English Spectator. In his journal he joined in Bergen for the establishment of a secondary school and a trade school. He teased against Pontoppidan and pietism. The magazine was very demanding and found little audience.

He received in 1781 a position as a police prosecutor. As such, he was strictly against any cruelty, especially the urban upper class against the social underclass. In 1783 he was a deputy after countless job applications magistrate Member and 1787 Member magistrate, which earned him an annual 400 Rigsdaler. He was financially secure for the first time.

1791 Fasting launched a new magazine, the provincial Amlinger, but he managed to complete only one book before his death. The book mainly consisted of plant geography.

His life in Bergen was overshadowed by a tragic love story. It was kindled a great love between him and his 13 -year-old private student Alette Sophie, but also their mother Henrica Rohde was in love with him. In the end, mother and daughter moved out of the city, where they merely presented Fasting as a dangerous seducer. This left him with a permanent wound, and it is claimed that they had contributed to his early death.

Fasting bequeathed his library to the charity school of the Free Church for public use. It was 590 volumes and included selected works of philosophy, natural history and aesthetics. The borrower should pay a shilling per week for each book.

In 1790 he got his first attack of gout, which was repeated in 1791. At Christmas he died.

Works

• Evander above Alcimna ( a translation of Gessner's shepherds pieces). 1767
• Pan hard. 1768
• Harmonisang. Verdners Liv og Aanders Glæde. 1769
• Hermione. 1771 ( not listed )
• Kritisk Journal (along with others) 1773
• Kritisk Tilskuer (along with others) from 1775 to 1776
• Provincial Blade. 1773-1781
• Actierne eller De Fingered. 1778
• Sørgekantate ved Jens Boalths død. 1780
• Provincial Amlinger. 1791.

Comments

The article is mainly based on Norsk biografisk leksikon. Any other information is reported separately.