Ottmar Schönhuth

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Ottmar Schönhuth

Ottmar Friedrich Heinrich Schönhuth (born April 6, 1806 in Sindelfingen ; † February 6, 1864 in Edelfingen (today part of Bad Mergentheim )) was a German writer, local historian and Protestant pastor.

Life

Ottmar Schönhuth was the fifth of a total of seven children of Friedrich Heinrich Schönhuth (1774-1817, attorney at law firm in Sindelfingen and Tübingen university administrator), and Luise Friederike Katharine Weik (h) (1779-1842). After attending the Latin school in Sindelfingen, he entered the Schöntal seminar in 1820 . In 1826 he began studying theology in Tübingen . Schönhuth first came to Pliezhausen as vicar in 1829 and then to Hohentwiel in 1830 .

In 1837 Schönhuth became a pastor in Dörzbach . In 1838 he married Johanna Christina Barnikel (1819–1894), a miller's daughter from Dörzbach. Ten children were born in the marriage, 9 of whom reached adulthood. In 1842 Schönhuth moved to a pastor's position in the neighboring Wachbach and finally in 1854 to Edelfingen . After his death at the age of 58, he was buried in Wachbach at his own request.

Schönhuth's first publication took place in 1827, during his studies in Tübingen. Until his death he wrote (partly under the pseudonyms Ottmar Heimlieb or FH Ottmar) over 200 books and writings, which were widely read in his time, but are largely forgotten today. In many cases they are dedicated to the history of southwest Germany ( Württemberg , Baden , Lake Constance area ) with a focus on the Hohenlohe region (his chronicles and local histories of Krautheim , Creglingen and Mergentheim , among others , remained valid for decades). In 1839 he published the Nibelungenlied (manuscript C). In 1846, Grand Duke Leopold awarded him the Baden Great Gold Medal in recognition of his achievements in regional history. In 1847 he was a co-founder of the Historical Association for Wuerttemberg Franconia , which is still active today and which he headed from 1851. A total of seven-volume monumental work The castles, monasteries, churches and chapels of Württemberg and the Prussian-Hohenzollern regions or Baden and the Palatinate appeared in 1860/61. Schönhuth also emerged as a poet, including song lyrics.

Schönhuth counted Ludwig Uhland , Justinus Kerner , Gustav Schwab and Joseph von Laßberg among his circle of friends. He cultivated closer friendship, for example, with Christian Friedrich von Leins and, since 1837, with Eduard Mörike . The latter partly praised him, but also accused him of "prolific typing". In a romantically inspired view of history and historiography, Schönhuth's work, which also wanted to offer young people an opportunity to get into history with easily understandable texts, mixes historical facts with myths. Some of his texts are to be regarded as forerunners of today's hiking and travel guides.

Schönhuth campaigned for the promotion of social life in his places of activity by introducing so-called May festivals ; the one in Dörzbach is still celebrated today. He founded singers' associations in Dörzbach and Wachbach. His social commitment was also expressed in the establishment of a soup kitchen in Wachbach and the establishment of a poor association in Mergentheim.

Works (selection)

literature

  • Eugen Schneider :  Schönhuth, Ottmar . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 32, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1891, p. 307 f.
  • Otto Borst : Ottmar FH Schönhuth. In: Max Miller, Robert Uhland (ed.): Life pictures from Swabia and Franconia. Volume VII, W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1960, pp. 214-251.
  • Hans Dieter Haller: Ottmar FH Schönhuth (1806 to 1864). In: Pegasus in the country - writers in Hohenlohe. Baier-Verlag, 2006, pp. 180-193.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Compare the comment by Joachim Bumke : The four versions of the Nibelungenklage . de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1996, ISBN 3-11-015076-X , pp. 127–128.

Web links

Wikisource: Ottmar Schönhuth  - Sources and full texts
Commons : Ottmar Schönhuth  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Schönhuth, Ottmar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schönhuth, Ottmar Friedrich Heinrich (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German writer and local researcher
DATE OF BIRTH April 6, 1806
PLACE OF BIRTH Sindelfingen
DATE OF DEATH February 6, 1864
Place of death Edelfingen