Daniel Casper von Lohenstein facts for kids
Daniel Casper (born January 25, 1635, died April 28, 1683) was an important writer, lawyer, and diplomat from Silesia. He lived during the Baroque period. From 1670, he was known as Daniel Casper von Lohenstein. He was a leading figure of a group of writers called the Second Silesian School.
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About His Family
Daniel Casper's family, also known as Caspari, came from the Brieg area. They were known for being poets and diplomats.
His father was Johann (Hans) Casper. He worked as an imperial customs officer and collected taxes on beer. Johann was also an alderman and city constable in Nimptsch. Daniel's mother was Susanna Schedel of Greiffenstein.
In 1670, Daniel's father, Hans, was given a special honor. He was made a noble and given the name "von Lohenstein". This meant the family became part of the peerage.
His Life Story
Growing Up
Daniel Casper was born in 1635 at the princely Schloss Nimptsch. His parents had moved there to stay safe during the Thirty Years' War.
He first had private lessons at home. Then, in 1642, his father sent him to Breslau. Daniel attended the Magdalenen-School, which became a high school in 1643. Even at age eleven, he was very smart. He took part in debates using examples from ancient times. When he was 15, he wrote his first play, a tragedy called "Ibrahim".
After high school, Casper went to university. He studied law at the University of Leipzig and the University of Tübingen. He finished his studies in 1655.
After university, he went on a "Grand Tour". This was a common trip for young men to travel and learn. He visited courts in Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. He also went to Vienna. He could not visit Italy because of a serious illness there. Instead, he spent time in Hungary. There, he learned about Turkish and Oriental cultures.
He returned home by ship. He remembered a huge storm during the trip. He saw 13 ships sink, which he never forgot. After coming home, he became a lawyer in Breslau. In 1657, at age 22, he married Elisabeth Herrmann.
Important Connections
In 1665, he wrote his second play, "Aggrippina". He dedicated it to Duchess Louise von Liegnitz-Brieg-Wohlau. She was a princess from Anhalt-Dessau.
Duchess Louise's mother, Elisabeth Marie, started a new council in 1668. Casper, as a scholar, advised Louise. He also helped design a tomb for important historical figures in Liegnitz. Duke Christian wanted him to work at his court as a secret advisor. But Casper decided to return to Breslau in 1670. He saw a promising career there.
He had already made friends with important families in Breslau. Christian Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau, a senior advisor, supported Casper's writing. Casper's funeral speech for Christian in 1679 was highly praised. In 1670, Casper became a Syndikus, an important city official.
City Official and Diplomat
This was one of the most important jobs in the city. A few weeks later, his family was made noble. This honor was likely meant more for him than his father. In 1675, the chief Syndikus, Andreas von Assig, became ill. Casper took his place as the chief Syndikus. He held this important job for eight years until he died.
After the Thirty Years' War, there were efforts to change things in Silesia. An order from the emperor said that all Protestant teachers had to be fired. Breslau was in danger of being taken over by imperial troops. So, Casper was sent to Vienna to talk with the emperor.
He used his excellent diplomatic skills. He convinced the emperor to change his mind and drop his demand. The city often sent him as an ambassador because of his great diplomatic abilities. He also continued to achieve much as a lawyer.
Daniel Casper von Lohenstein owned several towns. He bought Kittelau in 1673. He also inherited Reisau and Roschkowitz that same year. By the 1670s, Casper was at the peak of his life. He was a famous poet, a noble chief Syndikus, and a landowner. In 1675, he was appointed an imperial advisor. He passed away in 1683 at his family's castle in Breslau, Niederschlesien, after having a stroke.
His Works
Casper wrote an amazing amount of poetry. He did this while also working as a lawyer and diplomat. He was very productive. He was best known for his plays. These plays followed the style of French Classicism in drama. He was one of the most important playwrights of the Baroque period, along with Andreas Gryphius. He was also a poet and a translator.
His novel, "Großmütiger Feldherr Arminius", was about 3000 pages long. It came out between 1689 and 1690. It was a major work of Baroque romantic art. Some people found the language a bit hard to understand. In this book, he discussed the situation of the German empire after the Thirty Years' War. He tried to summarize the knowledge of his time.
His poems were published in magazines. He often used exaggeration and drama in his works. This helped him show the difference between what was real and what could be "better". His plays were similar to the Senecan style of tragedy.
In many of his writings, Daniel Caspar von Lohenstein shared his ideas about how to run a state and how to rule. These ideas were similar to those of Christian Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau.
List of Works
- „Ibrahim, 1649/50 (first printed after his death in 1685)
- Cypress-Tafel, (tragic poem or lyric), 1652
- Denk- und Dankaltar, 1652
- Ibrahim, Trauerspiel (Tragedy), 1653
- Rechtsstreit der Schönheit und Freundlichkeit, 1657
- Trauer- und Trostgedanken, 1658
- Schuldiges Ehren-Gedächtnis, 1660
- Cleopatra, Drama, 1661
- Redender Totenkopf, 1662
- Erlangte Ewigkeit, 1664
- Agrippina, Trauerspiel, 1665
- Epicharis, Trauerspiel, 1665
- Ibrahim Sultan, Schauspiel (tragedy that ends happily), 1673
- Blumen, poem, 1680
- Geistliche Gedanken, poem, 1680
- Trauer- und Lustgedichte, 1680
- Sophonisbe, Drama, 1680
- Großmütiger Feldherr Arminius, Roman (novel), 1689-90
See also
In Spanish: Daniel Casper von Lohenstein para niños
