Johann Heinrich Jung facts for kids
Johann Heinrich Jung (born September 12, 1740, in Grund – died April 2, 1817, in Karlsruhe), was a famous German writer. He was also known by his special pen name, Heinrich Stilling. People often called him "Jung-Stilling" using both names.
Contents
Life Story of Jung-Stilling
Johann Heinrich Jung was born in a small village called Grund, which is now part of Hilchenbach in Westphalia, Germany. His father, Wilhelm Jung, worked as both a school teacher and a tailor. His mother was Johanna Dorothea Fischer. Young Jung followed his father's wishes and also became a school teacher and a tailor.
Becoming a Doctor and Meeting Goethe
After teaching in different places, Jung decided to study medicine. In 1768, he went to the University of Strasbourg. While there, he met the famous German writer Goethe. Goethe became a good friend and even introduced Jung to another important writer, Johann Gottfried Herder. Goethe later wrote about Jung in his own autobiography, Dichtung und Wahrheit.
A Skilled Eye Surgeon
In 1772, Jung settled in Elberfeld and started working as a doctor. He became especially well-known as an oculist, which is an eye doctor. He was very skilled at performing operations to remove cataracts, which are cloudy areas in the eye that can make it hard to see. During his life, he performed over 3,000 successful cataract operations!
Teaching and Later Life
Jung also had a career in teaching. In 1778, he became a lecturer at a new school in Kaiserslautern. He taught subjects like farming, technology, business, and animal health. This school later became part of the University of Heidelberg in 1784.
In 1787, he moved to the University of Marburg. There, he became a professor teaching about economics, money, and statistics. He left his teaching job in 1803 and moved back to Heidelberg. In 1806, he received a special payment from Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden, and moved to Karlsruhe. He lived there until he passed away in 1817.
Jung-Stilling was married three times and had thirteen children. His granddaughter, Elise von Jung-Stilling, became a painter and started her own painting school.
Jung-Stilling's Writings
Jung-Stilling wrote many books. His most famous work is his autobiography, Heinrich Stillings Leben. This book is the main source of information about his life. It's also how he got his pen name, "Stilling."
The Story Behind "Stilling"
When Jung first wrote his autobiography, his friend Goethe helped him publish it in 1777. But Jung didn't even know it was being published! The book used the made-up name "Stilling" instead of his real last name, Jung. The name "Stilling" might have come from how some religious people in Germany were called "the still people in the countryside." His early novels often showed his strong religious beliefs.
Other Books and Translations
A full collection of his many books was published in 14 volumes between 1835 and 1838. Some of his works were also translated into English. For example, his autobiography Leben was translated in 1835. Another book, Theorie der Geisterkunde, was translated in 1834.
One of his German books, Der graue Mann (published in 1795), was translated into Russian in 1806. Later, this Russian version was translated into English as Menace Eastern-Light, The Man in the Grey Suit in 2002.
See also
- Nicolaus Zinzendorf
