Gerhard Friedrich Kegebein

Gerhard Friedrich Kegebein , often wrong in the literature as Georg Friedrich Kegebein or Kägebein (* 1737 in Hinrichshagen, today part of Woldegk ; † September 26, 1813 in Sabel ) was a German poet and a literary figure in the humoresque Dörchläuchting by Fritz Reuter .

biography

Gerhard Friedrich Kegebein was one of the sons of the pastor von Hinrichshagen, Friedrich Kegebein (1684–1775), and his wife Regina Dorothea, née. Grantzow (1711-1792). Neither his baptism nor that of his siblings were recorded by the father in the parish register of Hinrichshagen, although he had administered the pastoral office there since 1731.

Not much is known specifically about Kegebein's biography. Probably as the grandson of the academic (theologian?) Christian Kegebein from Neubrandenburg, who published a rhymed obituary for the late Neubrandenburg superintendent Adolf Friedrich von Preen (1623–1669) in Rostock in 1669 , Kegebein settled as Gerh in October 1758 . Fried. Enroll Keegebein in the register of the University of Rostock. Later (allegedly 1761–1764) he is said to have studied in Jena and only passed the first legal exam (lawyer) on January 30, 1771 in front of the ducal law firm in Neustrelitz. He then settled down as a lawyer in Neustrelitz , the capital of the Mecklenburg-Strelitz region , and tried to make a living in day-to-day legal business. "However, in the opinion of a court official there, he does not seem to have been a legal counsel because there were only a few writings to be found in the old files of the former judicial office, which were sold for crushing in 1879." Nevertheless, the state calendar still lists him in 1806 as a lawyer in Neustrelitz.

Everyday professional life apparently left Kegebein, who was already considered an eccentric and original during his lifetime , with sufficient leisure for literary activities. In 1792 he published his first volume of Fables, Stories and Spiritual Songs , which was never followed by another. A larger heroic poem of 64 stanzas with the title The Beauty or The Leap through the Schlehdorn remained unprinted, but has survived as a manuscript and, along with a letter from Kegebein's own hand, is part of the Fritz Reuter Literature Archive in Berlin. In addition to these two autographs, no other manuscripts by Kegebein have been identified so far.

Without any noticeable economic success and unmarried, Kegebein last stranded around 1807 in the household of a brother who was the tenant of the Sabel estate near (castle) Stargard and died shortly before him (drowned in a lake). Shortly before his death, Kegebein - now 76 years old - had to be incapacitated and placed under a curate because of mental weaknesses. A little later he died of a blown river (stroke).

In 1895 his grave was still there in the village cemetery of Sabel. In the late 1980s, Jürgen Borchert had someone look for them again while sorting his card boxes, but without success. In the meantime, part of the cemetery had been abandoned and a cowshed had been built. "And with that we want to let Kege legs slumber in peace under his cattle barn," summed up Borchert. “Even if he did not climb Parnassus - he is always sure of the immortality of involuntary humor. Just as Friedrich von Prussia had his Madame Karschin , so Adolph Friedrich von Mecklenburg had his keg leg. "

"Advokat Kägebein" as a literary figure

It was the Mecklenburg writer Fritz Reuter , who in 1866, in the 3rd chapter of his humoresque Dörchläuchting, introduced "Mr. Avkaten Kägebein" as a literary (joke) figure and did not hold back with his aversion to such "poets". Apparently, Reuter knew and processed the printed and unprinted from Kegebein. Kägebein's encounter with the vice-principal of the Neubrandenburg School of Academics, Aepinus, is one of the most beautiful scenes in humoresque: “Well, tell me, have you been writing for a long time?” Asks Kägebein after he had given him a few samples of his literary flashes of inspiration. “Yes, probably about 15 to 20 years.” - “Then leave it alone, because then you have done your duty completely”.

swell

• Carl Friedrich Müller: A Mecklenburg poet of the 18th century. In: Lower Saxony, Bremen, vol. 8, 1902/03, pp. 299-302.
• Friedrich Winkel: Kegebein. In: Mecklenburg-Strelitzer Heimatblätter, Neustrelitz, vol. 2, 1926, issue 2, pp. 29–34.
• Heinrich Karl Adolf Krüger: A stepchild of Apollo. In: Mecklenburgische Monatshefte , Rostock, Vol. 3, 1927, Issue 5, pp. 258-264.
• Jürgen Borchert: Georg Friedrich Kegebein. In: As ick kamm in't Strelitzer Land. Memorabilia in Mecklenburg. Biographical sketches on regional literary history. Ed .: VolksKulturInstitut, Rostock 1990.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Easter 1661 matriculation entry in Rostock.
2. ^ Not Ost [ern] 1758 , as it is wrongly stated in the Rostock transcription. - See matriculation entry
3. ↑ Gustav Raatz: poet laureate Kägebein. In other words: Truth and Poetry in Fritz Reuter's Works. Wismar 1895, pp. 155-157. [here p. 156.]
4. ↑ Gustav Raatz: poet laureate Kägebein. In other words: Truth and Poetry in Fritz Reuter's Works. Wismar 1895, pp. 155-157.
5. ↑ Jürgen Borchert: The other part of the card box. Hinstorff Verlag, Rostock 1988, pp. 27-34 [here p. 33].
6. ↑ Quoted from the High German transmission of the Reuter work provided by Fritz Meyer-Scharffenberg . - See Fritz Reuter: His Majesty Dörchläuchting. Hinstorff Verlag, Rostock 1963, pp. 35-36.

Web links

• Literature about Gerhard Friedrich Kegebein in the state bibliography MV