FALK

falk, johann daniel (1768-1826), german author and philanthropist, was born at danzig on the 28th of october 1768, after attending the gymnasium of his native town, he entered the university of halle with the view of studying theology, but preferring a non-professional life, gave up his theological studies and went to live at weimar. there he published a volume of satires which procured him the notice and friendship of wieland, and admission into literary circles. after the battle of jena, falk, on the recommendation of wieland, was appointed to a civil post under the french official authorities and rendered his townsmen such good service that the duke of weimar created him a counsellor of legation. in 1813 he established a society for friends in necessity (_gesellschaft der freunde in der not_), and about the same time founded an institute for the care and education of neglected and orphan children, which, in 1820, was taken over by the state and still exists as the _falksches institut_. the first literary efforts of falk took the form chiefly of satirical poetry, and gave promise of greater future excellence than was ever completely fulfilled; his later pieces, directed more against individuals than the general vices and defects of society, gradually degenerated in quality. in 1806 falk founded a critical journal under the title of _elysium und tartarus_. he also contributed largely to contemporary journals. he enjoyed the acquaintance and intimate friendship of goethe, and his account of their intercourse was posthumously published under the title _goethe aus naherem personlichen umgange dargestellt_ (1832) (english by s. austin). falk died on the 14th of february 1826. falk's _satirische werke_ appeared in 7 vols. (1817 and 1826); his _auserlesene schriften_ (3 vols., 1819). see _johannes falk: erinnerungsblatter aus briefen und tagebuchern, gesammelt von dessen tochter rosalie falk_ (1868); heinzelmann, _johannes falk und die gesellschaft der freunde in der not_ (1879); a. stein, _j. falk_ (1881); s. schultze, _falk und goethe_ (1900).