Esaias Tegnér

Esaias Tegnér ( born November 13, 1782 Kyrkerud, community Saffle, † November 2, 1846 in Växjö ) was a Swedish poet and Lutheran bishop.

Life

Tegnér, son of a pastor, studied in Lund and was after graduation in 1806 lecturer in aesthetics ( philosophy) at the University there. 1812 he was appointed professor of Gräzistik. 1824 he was appointed bishop in the Diocese of Växjö. During this period of depression plagued, but he moved two years later of Lund in his diocese. During this time he also became a member of the Swedish Parliament and represented there, a conservative position.

After a stroke in 1840 Tegnér fell into depression, but he was able to overcome the end of 1841 to continue his office as bishop. Another stroke in October 1846 brought about his death.

Work and significance

Tegnér had little theological interests, but remained famous as Bishop mainly as a poet. Even as a youth he had written and submitted since 1801 seals at the Swedish Academy and the Kungliga Vetenskaps -och Vitterhetssamhället i Göteborg, from 1802, he received a first award. Already the first poems and epics show the influence of the early German Romanticism. In 1811 he was awarded the Grand Prize of the Swedish Academy for his patriotic poem Svea, which earned him the reputation as one of the best poets in the country. Since 1812 Member of Götiska Förbundet ( Gothic Bund), now he has published many poems in the magazine Iduna. His famous speech on the anniversary of the Reformation in 1817 was a settlement with the Enlightenment and is considered the breakthrough of the Swedish romance.

To Tegnérs known works is beside the Nattvardsbarnen (1820; German as The Nachtmahlskinder translated by Olof Berg, 1825) and the narrative Axel (1822; translated by Gottlieb Mohnike 1829) especially the Frithiofs saga (1825; several times translated into German ), in he follow the example of Adam Oehlenschläger following, a subject from the Old Norse word fabrics treated. It was translated in the 19th century in Sweden, a spread like no other literary work and was in a number of languages.

Honors

Tegnér in 1818 Member of the Swedish Academy ( Chair 8). In 1835 he was admitted as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1838 and an honorary member of the Kungliga och Vitterhets History Antikvitets academies. Soon after the beginning of the episcopate, he was awarded the Order of the North Star ( commander ).

Founded in 1946 Tegnér Society ( Tegnérsamfundet ) dedicated to the research and dissemination of Tegnérs work. It awards since 1947 Tegnérpriset as an award for literary authors.

Numerous places and streets bear Tegnérs names, including the Tegnérgasse in Vienna-Favoriten ( 10th District ) since 1951.

Works (selection)

• Axel (1822 )
• Frithiofs saga (1825 )

• Charles XII (1818 )
• Majsång (1812 )