Friedrich von Matthisson
Friedrich von Matthisson (23 January 1761 – 12 March 1831) was a German poet, an early member of the German Romantic movement. His best known poem is probably Adelaide, which was set to music by Beethoven.
Friedrich von Matthisson
Ferdinand Hartmann · Museum digital · Public domain
- Born
- 1761.
- Died
- 1831.
- Nationality
- Kingdom of Prussia.
- Occupation
- poet, librarian, writer, court counsel, teacher and librettist.
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Friedrich von Matthisson. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q213993 · wikipedia · Friedrich von Matthisson
In this article
Biography
Biography
He was born at Hohendodeleben near Magdeburg, the son of the village pastor, on 23 January 1761. After studying theology and philology at the university of Halle, he was appointed in 1781 master at the classical school Philanthropinum in Dessau. This once famous seminary was, however, then rapidly decaying in public favor, and in 1784 Matthisson was glad to accept a travelling tutorship. He lived for two years with the Swiss author Bonstetten at Nyon on Lake Geneva. In 1794 he was appointed reader and traveling companion to Princess Louisa of Anhalt-Dessau (wife of Leopold III, Duke of Anhalt-Dessau). They visited Switzerland, Tyrol, and Italy. For a time, they were joined in their travels by Danish author and salonist Friederike Brun. After Princess Louisa's death in 1811, he entered the service of the king of Württemberg, was ennobled, created counselor of legation, appointed intendant of the court theatre and chief librarian of the royal library at Stuttgart. He resided for a time in Italy. In 1828 he retired and settled at Wörlitz near Dessau, where he died on 12 March 1831.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1761
Friedrich von Matthisson born at Hohendodeleben.
1831
Friedrich von Matthisson died at Wörlitz.
Writings
Matthisson enjoyed for a time a great popularity on account of his Poems (German: Gedichte; 1787; 15th ed., 1851; new ed., 1876), which Schiller extravagantly praised for their melancholy sweetness and their fine descriptions of scenery. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition praised his verse as melodious and written with musical language, but complains that the thought and sentiments expressed are too often artificial and insincere. The 1905 New International Encyclopaedia judges "his verse melodious and graceful, especially in rural description, but never strong." His Adelaide was rendered famous by Beethoven's setting. Of Matthisson's elegies, Elegy in the Ruins of an Old Castle (German: Die Elegie in den Ruinen eines alten Bergschlosses) was still popular in 1911, and is praised by the 1879 American Cyclopaedia as one of his finest lyrics. He edited selections from the lyric poets of Germany under the title of Lyrische Anthologie (20 vols., Zürich, 1803–07). His Reminiscences (German: Erinnerungen; 5 vols., 1810-1816), contain interesting accounts of his travels. Matthisson's Writings (German: Schriften) appeared in eight volumes (1825-1829), of which the first contains his poems and the other seven his Erinnerungen; a ninth volume was added in 1833 containing his biography by Heinrich Döring. His Literary Remains (German: Literarischer Nachlass), with a selection from his correspondence, was published in four volumes by F. R. Schoch in 1832.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Friedrich von Matthisson, revision 268073747 (DE edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q213993: Friedrich von MatthissonWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,529 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Friedrich von HagedornAuthor
- Friedrich von HausenAuthor
- Friedrich von HügelAuthor
- Friedrich von LogauAuthor
- Friedrich Wilhelm Chrlstiam GerstäckerAuthor
- Friedrich Wilhelm GotterAuthor
- Friedrich Wilhelm GrimmeAuthor
- Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph SchellingAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Friedrich von Matthisson?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.