Friedrich Leopold zu Stolberg-Stolberg facts for kids
Friedrich Leopold Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg (born November 7, 1750 – died December 5, 1819) was a German lawyer and translator. He was born in Bramstedt, a town in Holstein, which was part of Denmark at the time. He was also a poet during the Sturm und Drang and early Romantic periods in German literature.
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Early Life and Education
Friedrich Leopold came from a noble family called Stolberg. His father, Count Christian zu Stolberg, was a Danish official and owned a large estate. A few years after Friedrich was born, his family moved to Copenhagen. There, they became friends with important writers, especially Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock. Klopstock became a mentor to Friedrich and his older brother, Christian, after their father passed away in 1765.
In 1770, Friedrich Leopold and his brother Christian went to the University of Halle. They studied German Law there. They also learned about ancient history and classic literature. Later, the brothers studied at the University of Göttingen. They were key members of a group called the Göttinger Hainbund. This was a literary club for young men who wanted to unite Germany and improve German poetry.
After finishing university in 1775, the brothers traveled to Switzerland. They went with the famous poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Career and Family Life
In 1777, Friedrich Leopold became an envoy (a type of diplomat) for the Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck at the Court of Copenhagen. He often visited Eutin to spend time with his college friend, Johann Heinrich Voss. By 1781, he was the chief administrator in Eutin.
In 1782, Stolberg married Agnes von Witzleben. He wrote poems about her. They had a happy marriage for six years and had two sons and two daughters. Sadly, Agnes died young in 1788.
Friedrich Leopold then became a Danish envoy to the Court of Prussia. In 1789, he married Countess Sophie von Redern. After their wedding, they took a long trip through Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. He wrote about this journey in a series of letters called Travels through Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Sicily.
This trip was very important for his religious journey. He met Clemens August von Droste-Vischering, a very religious Catholic, and his tutor, Johann Theodor Katerkamp. In 1791, Stolberg became president of the Lübeck church court in Eutin.
Religious Conversion and Later Years
In June 1800, Friedrich Leopold joined the Catholic Church. This happened in the private chapel of Princess Gallitzin in Osnabrück. On August 22, he resigned from his jobs and moved to Münster in Westphalia. He became active with a group of Catholics who were developing the Romantic movement in Westphalia.
Most of his children from his second marriage also became Catholic in 1801. His oldest daughter, Agnes, was engaged to a Lutheran count. Four of his sons and two sons-in-law fought against France in 1814. One of his sons died at the Battle of Ligny in 1815.
Because he converted to Catholicism, Friedrich Leopold was strongly criticized by his former friend Voss. After living near Bielefeld for a while (starting in 1812), he moved to his estate, Schloss Sondermühlen. This estate is now part of Melle, near Osnabrück. He lived there until he passed away in 1819.
Literary Works and Legacy
When he was a student, Stolberg was part of the Göttinger Hainbund, which was linked to the Sturm und Drang movement. His poems often had a peaceful, natural feel, connecting his work to the Romantics.
Friedrich Leopold wrote many odes (poems praising something), ballads (storytelling poems), satires (works that make fun of something), and plays. One of his plays was the tragedy Timoleon (1784). He also translated many important works, including the Iliad (1778), Plato (1796-1797), Aeschylus (1802), and Ossian (1806).
He published a book about Alfred the Great in 1815. He also wrote a very long history called Geschichte der Religion Jesu Christi (History of the Religion of Jesus Christ), which came out in 17 volumes between 1806 and 1818. Other works include his Ballads (1779), Iambics (1784), Plays (1787), and Travels (1791). He also wrote novels, like The Island (1788).
Some of his poems were set to music by the famous Austrian composer Franz Schubert.
