Ludwig Geyer

Ludwig Heinrich Christian Geyer ( * January 21, 1779 in Eisleben, † September 30, 1821 in Dresden ) was a German painter, writer and actor. He married the widowed mother of Richard Wagner. Their daughter Cecilia was the mother of Ferdinand Avenarius.

Life and work

Ludwig Heinrich Christian Geyer was born as the son of an actuary with the superintendent office Eisleben. In Artern he spent his childhood there and awakened his love of nature and his powers of observation. After attending grammar school in Eisleben Geyer studied in Leipzig first Jura. When his father in 1799 was to start a job in Dresden, he crashed so hard on the way home that he died soon afterwards. The son had now not only no more funds for the study, he also had to provide for the family. He succeeded by his hobby into a career and small portraits sold, which he made extensive travels through the province.

1801 Geyer returned to Leipzig, where he met Friedrich Wagner, who discovered his acting talent. Geyer had engagements in Magdeburg, Brunswick, and from 1805 in Szczecin. Once there in 1806 Napoleon's troops had taken control, Geyer moved to Wroclaw. As also there, the French were engaged, he returned in 1807 to Leipzig back. It was helpful for Geyer, that his fatherly friend Friedrich Wagner had some influence because of his knowledge of French. On October 6, 1809 Geyer scored a acclaimed debut in Leipzig, and he was accepted into the ensemble by Franz Seconda, who had earned the title of "Royal Saxon court actor " for himself and his actors. In Magdeburg, he was accepted into the Masonic Lodge Ferdinand to bliss.

Repeatedly visited Geyer Dresden, where he distanced himself from the alliance of the Saxon King Friedrich August Napoleon. 1814 was the second company to ash in the Dresden court society. In the same year Geyer married the widow of Friedrich Wagner, who had died after the Leipzig Battle of typhus. It's in the science still controversial whether Geyer was the biological father of the previously born in Richard Wagner. This question had so far at times some explosiveness, as has been speculated in Geyer to a possible Jewish ancestry. His wife had brought seven children into the marriage. Geyer promoted their artistic talents. Wagner's favorite sister, the later court actress Rosalie Wagner, debuted in 1818 in the play The Harvest Festival of her stepfather, her sister Louise had given in 1817 in Geyer's comedy The Girl from the stranger her debut.

Geyer was until his death in 1821 the ensemble of the Dresden Court Theatre, Stage texts wrote and performed under Carl Maria von Weber on even as a singer. Carl August Böttiger regretted, however, that Geyer was not alone remained true to his original profession, painting: "His career to painting was the earliest and most determined. If it had been granted to him, to be able to devote all his energy portraiture alone, it would keep the works of his brush, regardless of the stimuli gladly paid the similarity, as true artifacts in the galleries. "