GERSTENBERG

gerstenberg, heinrich wilhelm von (1737-1823), german poet and critic, was born at tondern in schleswig on the 3rd of january 1737. after studying law at jena he entered the danish military service and took part in the russian campaign of 1762. he spent the next twelve years in copenhagen, where he was intimate with klopstock. from 1775 to 1783 he represented denmark's interests as "danish resident" at lubeck, and in 1786 received a judicial appointment at altona, where he died on the 1st of november 1823. in the course of his long life gerstenberg passed through many phases of his nation's literature. he began as an imitator of the anacreontic school (_tandeleien_, 1759); then wrote, in imitation of gleim, _kriegslieder eines danischen grenadiers_ (1762); with his _gedicht eines skalden_ (1766) he joined the group of "bards" led by klopstock. his _ariadne auf naxos_ (1767) is the best cantata of the 18th century; he translated beaumont and fletcher's _maid's tragedy_ (1767), and helped to usher in the _sturm und drang_ period with a gruesome but powerful tragedy, _ugolino_ (1768). but he did perhaps even better service to the new literary movement with his _briefe uber merkwurdigkeiten der literatur_ (1766-1770), in which the critical principles of the _sturm und drang_--and especially its enthusiasm for shakespeare,--were first definitely formulated. in later life gerstenberg lost touch with literature, and occupied himself mainly with kant's philosophy. his _vermischte schriften_ appeared in 3 vols. (1815). the _briefe uber merkwurdigkeiten der literatur_ were republished by a. von weilen (1888), and a selection of his poetry, including _ugolino_, by r. hamel, will be found in kurschner's _deutsche nationalliteratur_, vol. 48 (1884).