Ulrich von Schlippenbach

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Ulrich von Schlippenbach (1774–1826)

Ulrich Hermann Heinrich Gustav Freiherr von Schlippenbach (born May 18, 1774 on the Groß-Wormsahten estate (near Schrunden ), Duchy of Courland and Semgallia ; † March 20, 1826 in Mitau ) was a German-Baltic poet, writer and editor of the era of romance .

Life

Schlippenbach was born in 1774 on his father's estate in Groß-Wormsahten in Courland . The father Carl Heinrich von Schlippenbach (1736–1803) was the hereditary owner of the goods Groß-Wormsahten and Alschhof and had participated as a captain in the Prussian army in the Seven Years' War . While he concentrated on agriculture, it was his educated mother Wilhelmine Henriette von Blomberg (1754–1797) who influenced the son's intellectual development. In 1789 Schlippenbach attended the Academia Petrina in Mitau , a mixture of grammar school and university. Karl August Kütner , one of his professors, recognized Schlippenbach's talent and encouraged him to try poetry. In the quarrel between the nobility and Duke Peter , which aroused Courland at the time, Schlippenbach lively took sides on behalf of his peers and allowed himself to be carried away by piercing the image of the duke in the auditorium of the academy with his sword. Relegated for this offense, he moved to the Albertus University in Königsberg in 1790 , where he also heard Immanuel Kant , but mostly occupied himself with poetic attempts that soon made him known to wider circles and brought about his acceptance into German society .

More than any of his teachers, he felt encouraged by the familiar contact with Zacharias Werner , who took a lively interest in his poetic endeavors. In 1791 Schlippenbach went to Leipzig, where he was an avid visitor to the lectures of Ernst Platner and Karl Heinrich Heydenreich . He also studied law, albeit with no particular inclination. When the Russian campaign against Poland began in 1794, he entered Russian military service, stayed for a while in the Guard at Petersburg after the end of the war, but after the death of Catherine II in 1796 he said goodbye and returned to Courland.

Here he took over the administration of his father's estate and married Amalie von Medem (1775–1846). In 1799 he became Landnotarius of the Pilsen circle and in 1800 was a member of the commission, which had been formed from deputies of the various knighthoods for the purpose of advising on the establishment of a university in the Baltic provinces. In 1807 he was elected district administrator of the Pilsen district. At that time the Piltensche Kreis or Pilten Abbey did not belong politically to the Duchy of Courland, but was an independent aristocratic republic that was directly under the Polish crown. The management of the district was in the hands of a district council, which was also the highest judicial authority and had its seat in Hasenpoth . Schlippenbach lived here in the most pleasant of circumstances, enjoyed the most wonderful happiness in the family, and devoted himself to very poetic occupation in the hours of leisure he was granted. Some of his poems appeared in local papers such as Ruthenia , others in foreign papers, such as the newspaper for the elegant world , the Morgenblatt , the Dresdner Abend-Zeitung and Becker's Erholungen . In 1814 Schlippenbach was a member of the Commission for the Improvement of the Condition of the Peasants, which was supposed to prepare for the abolition of serfdom in the Baltic provinces, although he himself had long been an opponent of serfdom.

When the Piltensche Landratskollegium was dissolved in 1818 and the district was merged with Kurland, Schlippenbach went to Mitau as a councilor to the Courland High Court, where he spent his last days, which were often clouded by sickness. In summer he mostly stayed on his estates in Ulmahlen and Jamaica. In his house he was the center of cheerful, lively sociability. His lively enthusiasm for friendship was very much in the spirit of those days, and he felt happiest in witty, witty conversations with friends. On March 20, 1826, he decided in Mitau with full awareness of the approaching end of his life.

Poet and editor

Schlippenbach founded his own organ for all poetic forces of the Baltic homeland. For this purpose he published the "Kuronia, a collection of patriotic poems", of which three collections appeared in Mitau from 1806-1808, followed by the fourth "Wega, a poetic paperback for the north", Mitau 1809. Schlippenbach published a collection of his poems in Mitau in 1812, which, however, does not contain everything that he had previously published. After his death there is a second collection under the title; “Post-processed poems” were printed in 1828. In his time, Schlippenbach was the most celebrated poet in the Baltic provinces. There was no festive occasion, be it the opening of a theater, the greeting of important guests, the anniversary celebration of deserving men, no happy event among his family or friends, at which Schlippenbach did not voluntarily or promptly touch the strings of his Leyer. The fact that he almost always succeeded in saying something meaningful, appealing, often lively and full of thought in poetic form on such occasions best shows that he was a truly poetic nature. In 1815 Schlippenbach initiated the Society for Literature and Art in Mitau.

He remained in constant contact with the German fiction magazines and was in lively correspondence with many German poets and writers, especially with Friedrich Perthes , he cultivated a lively exchange of ideas. Schlippenbach was an avid admirer of Jean Paul and a passionate supporter of the Romantics. Not only did he read all the new publications in this direction, he also diligently spread them among his friends. Goethe had little effect on him, but he clung to Schiller with enthusiastic admiration. He and Friedrich von Matthisson had the greatest influence on his poetry. It is preferably reflective poetry; the actual lyrical element rarely emerges and he has hardly ever succeeded in creating an actual song. The influence of romanticism shows itself almost only in the choice of the material and in the color of the mood, only very rarely in the form.

Of his other writings, the following should be emphasized: “Picturesque walks through Kurland”, Mitau 1809, in which he describes part of Kurland with a poetic sense. Furthermore “Contributions to the history of the war between Russia and France in the years 1812 and 1813”, 4 booklets; they are a living reflection of the mood of the time and are important for the history of the temporary occupation of Courland by the French.

Works

  • “Picturesque walks through Courland.” Riga a. Leipzig, Hartmann, 1809. ( Digitized from the University of Tartu ). Reprint v. Hirschheydt, Hannover-Döhren, 1974.
  • “Memories of a trip to St. Petersburg in 1814.” Hamburg, 1818 ( digitized from the holdings of the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies ).
  • “Iconology of the current age or representation of some allegorical persons according to today's custom.” Riga, Hartmann, 1807.
  • “Letters from Dorpat and Riga.” Hamburg, Perthes and Besser, 1818.
  • “Poems” with Christian Erhard Langhansen. Mitau, Steffenhagen, 1818.
  • "Libau on October 13, 1808: a memorial for friends of mankind and the fatherland." Mitau, JF Steffenhagen and son, 1808.
  • “Postponed poems.” Mitau, Steffenhagen, 1828.
  • “Flowers of life from the south and north in truth and dream.” Hamburg, Perthes and Besser, 1816.
  • “Kuronia: a collection of national poems.” Mitau, 1806.
  • "Song of the blind Latvian nature poet Indrik from Appricken, sung in the expression of the feelings of his people, and translated by Baron von Schlippenbach." By Indrick, Ulrich von Schlippenbach, Mitau, Steffenhagen, 1820.
  • "Wreath of songs. In memory of the late Duchess Dorothea von Kurland. ”Mitau, JF Steffenhagen and son, 1821.

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Ulrich von Schlippenbach  - Sources and full texts
personal data
SURNAME Schlippenbach, Ulrich von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schlippenbach, Ulrich Heinrich Gustav
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-Baltic poet and writer
DATE OF BIRTH May 18, 1774
PLACE OF BIRTH Gut Groß-Wormsahten near Schrunden , Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
DATE OF DEATH March 20, 1826
Place of death Mitau , Courland Governorate , Russian Empire