Karl Joseph Simrock
Karl Joseph Simrock ( born August 28, 1802 in Bonn, † July 18, 1876 ) was a German poet and philologist.
Life
He was born in Bonn as the 13th and last child of musician and music publisher Nikolaus Simrock. He visited Bonn in the French-speaking Lycee and enthusiastic about the then revived Middle High German epics and fairy tale literature. In 1818 he enrolled for a law degree at the newly founded Prussian Rhenish University in Bonn. He also heard story at Ernst Moritz Arndt and German language and literature at August Wilhelm Schlegel. In 1822, he continued his study of law in Berlin, it closed in 1826 successfully, you chose the career as a judge in Berlin and worked (since 1824) at the Royal Court of Appeal.
Already in 1823 he had become a member of the Berlin Wednesday Society and closed, among other things friendship with Adelbert von Chamisso. In 1827 he brought out the future successful modern German translation of the Nibelungenlied and began to publish as a lyricist and poet ballads. In 1830 he was dismissed from government service because of a poem in praise of the French July Revolution. In 1834 he received his doctorate of philosophy. He worked as a translator (among other things by Hartmann von Aue, Gudrun and Shakespeare), publisher and as a successful, even patriotic writer, from 1832 again in Bonn. There he married in 1834 Gertrude Ostler. The couple had four children. His daughter Anna Maria married August Reifferscheid and became the mother of Henry and Charles Reifferscheid.
At the time of its founding family, he began his great, takes decades projects, a the German legends about Dietrich von Bern, Wieland and many others the blacksmith encompassing, Worded in the Nibelungen verse epic poem of many individual songs, which " The Amelung Song ", which should make it in the 19th century to much-read author. He edited the old German folk books, fairy tales and proverbs collections and numerous other works of a people's history "Primeval ". Despite his friendship with Ferdinand Freiligrath for example, he participated in the 1848 revolution no active part. He became an associate in 1850 and 1853 ordinary and famous in his field, Professor of the History of German Language and Literature at the University of Bonn. From 1853 to 1855 his long time appeared authoritative " Handbook of German mythology with the inclusion of the Nordic ".
Karl Simrock established his reputation with the translation of the Nibelungenlied in 1827 as well as the transmission and publication of the poems of Walther von der Vogelweide ( 1833). The most famous piece Simrocks The German people were books that reached at least 55 editions 1839-1867. Besides German and Old Norse literature, he also turned to Shakespeare, his sources in stories, fairy tales and legends he explored. He also translated some of his poems and plays into German.
A 12- volume edition of his Selected Works published from 1907 in Leipzig, edited by Gotthold Klee. His books have to say in the 1940s to - in these editions of the educated middle class always voraussetzbaren - Youth reading; after 1945 without resuscitation.
Works
- Vol 1: Gudrun
- Vol 2: The Nibelungenlied
- Vol 3: The little book of heroes
- Vol 4: Des Amelung song first part
- Vol 5: In Amelung song second part
- Vol 6: Des Amelung song third part
Monument
Influential citizens of the city of Bonn called 20 years after the death Simrocks for donations for a monument Simrock. Just one year later, the sculptor Albert Bonner Küppers first model sketches before a memorial to the famous poet. In the spring of 1900, the collection result was published; through the generous donations were about 23,000 Mark come together so that Küppers could be entrusted with the execution of the monument. The contract provided that the monument should be completed by the 100th to Simrock's birthday. At the official unveiling of the monument on July 15, 1903 Karl Simrock was praised especially as the translator of the Nibelungenlied, but also as a patriot. Already in 1940, the monument was cleared; since it is on the building market of the city of Bonn.