Johann Gottwerth Müller

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Johann Gottwerth Müller, 1818
Signature Johann Gottwerth Müller.PNG
Memorial at the Prinzesshof in Itzehoe

Johann Gottwerth Müller (called Müller von Itzehoe ) (born May 17, 1743 in Hamburg , † June 23, 1828 in Itzehoe ) was a German writer and educator.

Life

Johann Gottwerth Müller was the son of the doctor Johannes Nikolaus Müller in Hamburg and Karoline Ehrenmuthe, the daughter of Erdmann Neumeister . Until 1762 he attended the learned school of the Johanneum and the academic high school . He had to break off his medical studies in Helmstedt and Halle after the sudden death of his father in 1770.

He moved to Magdeburg with the ducal university bookseller Daniel Christian Hechtel . Although he was considered a "debt maker, dowry hunter, prison inmate, liar, illegal founder of publishing bookstores, reprinting, windy bookseller, conflict man", Müller trained as a bookseller with him. In 1771 he married Hechtel's daughter Anna. His father-in-law did little to encourage the publication of his first works. In 1772 he took over the management of a branch of Hechtel's bookstore in Frankfurt an der Oder, but gave it up again that same year after the falling out with his father-in-law. The young family moved to Hamburg. Müller tried to establish himself there with his own publishing house, but soon had to give up, heavily in debt.

At the end of 1773 he settled as a freelance writer with his wife, child and mother-in-law in Itzehoe in the then Danish-ruled Duchy of Holstein . He rarely left the small town, but received many guests and had extensive correspondence with publishers and writers such as Heinrich Christian Boie , Adolph Knigge and Johann Heinrich Voss . Georg Christoph Lichtenberg became the godfather of one of his sons. He received his doctorate from the University of Göttingen in the summer of 1783 and has been called Dr. Müller. His novels were very popular and were often illegally reprinted, from which Müller, however, as they were mostly pirated prints , did not benefit. He campaigned for the protection of intellectual property in several writings . Since he had suffered from various illnesses from 1777 that temporarily prevented him from working, and the medical bills consumed his fees, he was dependent on support for the maintenance of his large family. He finally lived on a by Friedrich VI. Pension suspended by Denmark.

He became known as a writer through the humorous novel Siegfried von Lindenberg , published in 1779 , in which Low German dialect occurs. He published many novels only as "the author of Siegfried von Lindenberg". In total, he published thirteen novels, which appeared in numerous editions and translations. In a satirical and didactic tone, he aimed at the aesthetic and moral education of the classes. In addition, he wrote comedies and essays to spread enlightened ideas. He was a collaborative reviewer at Friedrich Nicolai's General German Library and published the magazine Der Deutsche from 1771 to 1776 . He also worked as a translator. a. the German translation of Denis Vairasse's utopian novel Journey to the Land of the Sevaramben, or History of the State Constitution, Manners and Customs of the Severamben , Dieterich, Göttingen 1783.

In order to promote the education in Itzehoe and the surrounding area, he founded a reading society around 1774 . At times he also had a bookstore and a lending library in his apartment. Despite his precarious situation throughout his life, he was able to build one of the largest private libraries of his time. After his death, 13,000 volumes were auctioned.

He had eight children with his wife Anna. His daughter Charlotte was married to the theologian Johann Otto Thieß for the second time . His daughter Minna ran the household for him after his mother's death in 1810. He is buried in the Münsterdorf cemetery , where his memorial stone stands next to that of his benefactor Konrad Graf zu Rantzau.

Fonts

  • The ring. A funny story based on Spanish. From the author of Siegfried von Lindenberg and the papers of the brown man. From the author of Siegfried von Lindenberg . 2nd edition, Dieterich, Göttingen 1780 digitized
  • Siegfried von Lindenberg , 3 parts, 2nd extended edition 1781/1782 New edition Jena 1830 digitized
  • The Lords of Waldheim. A strange story . 2 volumes, JC Dieterich, Göttingen 1784–1785 (= comic novels from the papers of the brown man and the author of Siegfried von Lindenberg 1st (- 2nd) vol.)
  • Emmerich, a strange story. Dieterich, Göttingen 1786 ( digitized in the Google book search).
  • The Lords of Waldheim. A strange story . 4 volumes, Frankfurt a. M .; Leipzig 1787, 1778 digitized
  • Selim the lucky one; or, The substitute of Orimuzd, an oriental story. According to the Guzurattian original. By the author of Siegfried von Lindenberg , 3 volumes. Nicolai, Berlin and Stettin 1792 Volume 1 digitized
  • About the robbery from the publishing house, or remarks about Mr. D. Reimarus' defense of the reprint in April of the German magazine 1791 . Schneider, Leipzig 1792 digitized
  • Friedrich Brack or the story of an unfortunate man drawn from the same handwritten papers . 4 volumes, Nicolai, Berlin 1793–1795
  • Sara Reinert. A story in letters, dedicated to the fair sex in Germany. With copper . 4 volumes, Nicolai, Berlin 1796 (translation of the Dutch novel De historie by mejuffrouw Sara Burgerhart (1782) by Aagje Deken and Betje Wolff ).
  • Novelty. A collection of short novels, stories and anecdotes . Vieweg, Braunschweig 1799 digitized
  • Antoinette, or disinterested love. A true family story, adorned with digressions, from the desk of the author of Siegfried von Lindenberg. F. Wilmans, Frankfurt am Mayn 1802 digitized
  • Ferdinand. An original novel in four books. by the author of Siegfried von Lindenberg . 2 volumes, JF Hammerich, Altona 1802 digitized volume 1 , volume 2
  • The Benning family. A story in two volumes by the author of Siegfried von Lindenberg . 2 volumes, JF Hammerich, Altona 1808

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Johann Gottwerth Müller  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Painting by Ferdinand Wolfgang Flachenecker , whereabouts unknown, then lithograph: Bez. Ul: Ferd. Wolfg. Flachenecker pinx. 1818 ; ur: signed on stone v. S. Bendixen ; u. M .: Hamb. Stone dr. ; Digital portrait index .
  2. ↑ Ritter: Müller 4th bookseller and publisher training in Magdeburg 1770 to 1772 ( Memento of the original from March 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.itzehoe.de
  3. ↑ Ritter: Müller 9. Revision, Illness and Aging ( Memento of the original from March 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.itzehoe.de
  4. ↑ Ritter: Müller 8. The Enlightenment Müller and its diverse functions. The writer ( Memento of the original from March 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.itzehoe.de
  5. ^ History of socialism in first and original editions. Exhibition from May 25 - June 5, 1926 by the Social Science Study Library at the Chamber for Workers and Employees . Vienna 1926, p. 11 No. 25 and 26.
personal data
SURNAME Müller, Johann Gottwerth
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Müller from Itzehoe
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German writer
DATE OF BIRTH May 17, 1743
PLACE OF BIRTH Hamburg
DATE OF DEATH June 23, 1828
Place of death Itzehoe