Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch facts for kids
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Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch
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| Born |
Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch Martínez
6 September 1806 Madrid, Spain
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| Died | 2 August 1880 (aged 73) Madrid, Spain
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| Seat l of the Real Academia Española | |
| In office 7 November 1847 – 2 August 1880 |
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| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo |
Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch Martínez (born September 6, 1806 – died August 2, 1880) was a famous Spanish writer. He wrote plays, so he is called a dramatist. He also led the National Library of Spain for many years.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch was born in Madrid, Spain. His father was a German carpenter who made furniture. His mother was Spanish. As a child, Juan worked as an apprentice in his father's shop. He was learning to become a cabinet-maker.
He went to school from 1815 to 1818 to study French. After that, he spent four years at the Jesuit College of San Isidro el Real in Madrid. There, he mainly studied how to speak and write well (rhetoric), Latin, and philosophy.
Juan continued to work in his father's trade until 1830. Then, he learned shorthand, which is a fast way to write. He joined the staff of a newspaper called Gaceta. In 1830, he married María Bernardina Morgue, but she sadly passed away in 1836.
A Career in Writing
Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch started his writing career by translating plays. He translated works from famous writers like Molière, Voltaire, and Alexandre Dumas, père. After that, he began to change old Spanish plays to make them new.
In 1837, he wrote his first original play, Los amantes de Teruel. This play was a big success and made him famous. Other writers had used this story before, but Hartzenbusch's version was very popular.
Some of his later plays, like Doña Mencía (1840) and Alfonso el Casto (1841), were not as successful. But in 1845, he had another big hit with La jura en Santa Gadea.
A Busy Author and Scholar
Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch was a very hardworking writer. He wrote many different types of works. His son, Don Eugenio Hartzenbusch, later published a list of all his father's writings in 1900. This list showed how much Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch had created.
His works included:
- Many collections of his writings
- 94 plays
- 236 poems
- 231 fables (short stories with a moral) in verse
- Many articles, stories, and literary reviews
This long list shows that he was a dedicated author and scholar. He earned a respected place among Spain's writers through his hard work.
Leading the National Library
From 1862 to 1875, Hartzenbusch was the chief librarian at the National Library of Spain. He worked tirelessly to edit many important Spanish classic books. While other Spanish playwrights might have been more inspiring, Hartzenbusch was known for his wide range of skills and his careful work.
He was also a member of the Real Academia Española, which is the Royal Spanish Academy. This is a very important group that looks after the Spanish language. As a member, he helped edit the works of famous Spanish authors. These included Tirso de Molina, Calderón de la Barca, Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, and Lope de Vega.
Later Years
After he retired from the National Library in 1875, Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch's health began to decline. He also lost his second wife, Salvadora Hiriart. He passed away at his home in Madrid on August 2, 1880. The Real Academia Española honored him by attending his funeral. He was buried in the Cementerio de la Sacramental de San Ginés y San Luis.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch para niños
