Adolf Friedrich von Schack facts for kids
Adolf Friedrich, Graf von Schack (born August 2, 1815 – died April 14, 1894) was a German poet, a historian who studied literature, and a collector of art. He is remembered for his beautiful art gallery in Munich.
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About Adolf Friedrich von Schack
Adolf Friedrich von Schack was born in a place called Brüsewitz, near Schwerin. He studied law at several universities between 1834 and 1838. After his studies, he started working for the government in Mecklenburg and later in Berlin.
However, he soon found that government work wasn't for him. He decided to resign and travel the world! He visited interesting places like Italy, Egypt, and Spain. Later, he worked for the Grand Duke of Oldenburg and even traveled with him to the East.
In 1849, he became a diplomat, representing Oldenburg in Berlin. But in 1852, he retired from this job too. He spent some time on his family's land in Mecklenburg and then traveled to Spain again. There, he spent time learning about the history of the Moors, who were people from North Africa who lived in Spain a long time ago.
In 1855, he moved to Munich. He became a member of the academy of sciences there. This is where he started his amazing collection of paintings. His gallery included works by famous artists like Bonaventura Genelli, Anselm Feuerbach, Moritz von Schwind, Arnold Böcklin, and Franz von Lenbach.
Even though he left his art collection to Emperor Wilhelm II, it is still in Munich today. It's known as the Schackgalerie and is one of the city's most famous art galleries. Adolf Friedrich von Schack passed away in Rome in April 1894, when he was 78 years old. His museum, which opened in 1848, is still open for everyone to visit.
His Writings
Adolf Friedrich von Schack was a talented writer. He wrote many different kinds of books, from poems to plays and history books.
Poems and Stories
- Lyric Poems: These are poems that express feelings or ideas. He published a collection called Gedichte (which means "Poems") in 1867.
- Novels in Verse: He wrote stories that were told through poetry, like Durch alle Wetter (meaning "Through All Weathers") and Ebenbürtig (meaning "Of Equal Rank").
- Dramatic Poems: These were long poems meant to be like plays, such as Helidor.
- Tragedies: He also wrote serious plays with sad endings, including Die Pisaner and Walpurga and Der Johanniter.
- Political Comedies: He even wrote funny plays that made fun of politics, like Der Kaiserbote (meaning "The Emperor's Messenger") and Cancan.
History Books
Adolf Friedrich von Schack was also a historian, especially interested in art and literature.
- He wrote a history of plays and art in Spain, called Geschichte der dramatischen Literatur and Kunst in Spanien.
- He also wrote about the poetry and art of the Arabs in Spain and Sicily, titled Poesie and Kunst der Araber in Spanien and Sicilien. These books are still important for people studying history today.
Translations
He was also a translator, which means he changed books from one language to another.
- He translated Spanish plays into German, in a collection called Spanisches Theater.
- He also translated ancient Persian stories from the Heldensagen des Firdusi and poems from India called Stimmen vom Ganges (meaning "Voices from the Ganges").
About His Art Collection
He wrote a book about his own famous art collection, called Meine Gemaldesammlung (meaning "My Painting Collection").
More Information
If you want to learn even more about Adolf Friedrich von Schack, you can read his autobiography. An autobiography is a book someone writes about their own life. His was called Ein halbes Jahrhundert, Erinnerungen and Aufzeichnungen (meaning "Half a Century, Memories and Notes").
See also
In Spanish: Adolf Friedrich von Schack para niños
