Karl Eduard von Holtei

Karl Eduard von Holtei

Karl Eduard von Holtei (January 24, 1798February 12, 1880) was a German poet and actor,

Life and career

Karl Eduard von Holtei was born at Breslau, the son of an officer of Hussars. Having served in the Prussian army as a volunteer in 1815, he shortly afterwards entered the University of Breslau as a student of law; but, attracted by the stage, he soon forsook academic life and made his debut in the Breslau theatre as Mortimer in Schiller's "Mona Stuart". He led a wandering life for the next two years, appearing less on the stage as an actor than as a reciter of his own poems. In 1821 he married the actress Luise Roge (1800-1825), and was appointed theatre-poet to the Breslau stage. He next removed to Berlin, where his wife fulfilled an engagement at the Court theatre. During his sojourn here he produced the vaudevilles "Die Wiener in Berlin" (1824), and "Die Berliner in Wien" (1825), pieces which enjoyed at the time great popular favour.

In 1825 his wife died; but soon after her death he accepted an engagement at the Königsstlldter theatre in Berlin, when he wrote a number of plays, notably "Lenone" (1829) and "Der alte Feldherr" (1829). In 1830 he married Julie Holzbecher (1809-1839), an actress engaged at the same theatre, and with her played in Darmstadt. Returning to Berlin in 1831 he wrote for the composer Franz Gläser (1798-1861) the text of the opera "Des Adlers Horst" (183), and for Ludwig Devrient the drama, "Den dumme Peter" (1837).

n 1833 Holtei again went on the stage and toured with his wife to various important cities, Hamburg, Leipzig, Dresden, Munich and Vienna. In the last his declamatory powers as a reciter, particularly of Shakespeare's plays, made a furore, and the poet-actor was given the appointment of manager of the Josefstadter theatre in the last-named city. Though proud of his successes both as actor and reciter, Holtei left Vienna in 1836, and from 1837 to 1839 conducted the theatre in Riga. Here his second wife died, and after wandering through Germany reciting and accepting a short engagement at Breslau, he settled in 1847 at Graz, where he devoted himself to a literary life and produced the novels "Die Vagatunden" (1851) "Christian Lammfell" (1853) and "Den letlte Komodiant" (1863) The last years of his life were spent at Breslau, where being ir poor circumstances he found a home in the Kloster der Barmherzigen Bruder, and here he died.

As a dramatist Holtei may be said to have introduced the vaudeville into Germany; as an actor, although remaining behind the greater artists of his time, he contrived to fascinate his audience by the dramatic force of his exposition of character as a reciter, especially of Shakespeare, he knew no rival. August Lewald said of Holtei that by the energy of his poetic conception and plastic force he brought his audience round to his own ideas; and he added, "an eloquence such as his I have never met with in any other German."

Holtei was not only a stage-poet but, a lyric-writer of great charm. Notable among such productions are "Schlesische Gedichte" (1830; 20th ed., 1893), "Gedichte" (5th ad., 1861), "Stimmen des Waldes" (2nd ed., 1854). Mention ought also to be made of Holtei's interesting autobiography, "Vierzig Jahre" (8 vols, 1843-1850; 3rd ed., 1862) with the supplementary volume "Noch ein Jahr in Schlesien" (1864).

Holtei's "Theater" appeared in 6 vols (1867); his Erzöhlende Schriften, 39 vols (1861-1866). See M Kurnick, "Karl von Holtei, ein Lebensbild" (1880); F Wohl, "Zeit und Menschen" (1889); O Storch, "K. von Holtei" (1898).

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Karl von Holtei — En la litografía de Kriehuber Monumento Karl Eduard von …   Wikipedia Español

  • Holtei — Holtei, 1) Karl Eduard v. H., geb. 24. Jan. 1797 in Breslau; er trat 1813 als Freiwilliger in das preußische Heer, privatisirte dann in Breslau, wurde dort 1819 Schauspieler u. verheirathete sich 1821 mit der Schauspielerin Louise Rogé (geb. um… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Eduard Müller (Philologe) — Eduard Müller (* 12. November 1804 in Brieg (Schlesien); † 30. November 1875 in Liegnitz) war ein deutscher Lehrer und Philologe. Er war Bruder des protestantischen Theologen Julius Müller (1801 1878) und des klassischen Philologen Karl Otfried… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Deutsche Schillerstiftung von 1859 — Die Deutsche Schillerstiftung von 1859 mit Sitz in Weimar ist die älteste deutsche private Fördereinrichtung für Schriftsteller. Der Schwerpunkt ihres Wirkens liegt seit der Gründung 1855, ihrer Konstituierung 1859 und ihrer Wiedergründung 1995… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste der Straßennamen von Wien/Floridsdorf — Straßen in Wien I. Innere Stadt | II. Leopoldstadt | III. Landstraße | IV. Wieden | V. Margareten | VI. Mariahilf | VII.  …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste von Librettisten — In dieser Liste von Librettisten stehen bekannte internationale Vertreter ihres Berufes mit ihren Werken. Ein Librettist ist der Autor eines Librettos. Er kann dafür einen eigenen Handlungsverlauf entwickeln oder von vorhandenen Stoffen und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ottilie Wilhelmine Ernestine Henriette von Pogwisch — Ottilie von Goethe, Bleistiftzeichnung von H. Junker Ottilie Wilhelmine Ernestine Henriette von Goethe, geborene Freiin von Pogwisch (* 31. Oktober 1796 in Danzig; † 26. Oktober 1872 in Weimar) war die Schwiegertochter von Johann Wolfgang von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ottilie von Goethe — Ottilie von Goethe, Bleistiftzeichnung von H. Junker Ottilie Wilhelmine Ernestine Henriette von Goethe, geborene Freiin von Pogwisch (* 31. Oktober 1796 in Danzig; † 26. Oktober 1872 in Weimar) war die Schwiegertochter von Johann Wolfgang von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Franz von Schober — Schober vor Schloss Torup, Gemälde von Leopold Kupelwieser An …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ernst Rauscher von Stainberg — (* 3. September 1834 in Klagenfurt, Kärnten; † 18. August 1919 ebenda), war ein österreichischer Schriftsteller. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Werke (Auswahl) 3 Literatur …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”