KELLER

keller, gottfried (1819-1890), german poet and novelist, was born at zurich on the 19th of july 1819. his father, a master joiner, dying while gottfried was young, his early education was neglected; he, however, was in 1835 apprenticed to a landscape painter, and subsequently spent two years (1840-1842) in munich learning to paint. interest in politics drew him into literature, and his talents were first disclosed in a volume of short poems, _gedichte_ (1846). this obtained him recognition from the government of his native canton, and he was in 1848 enabled to take a short course of philosophical study at the university of heidelberg. from 1850 to 1855 he lived in berlin, where he wrote his most important novel, _der grune heinrich_ (1851-1853; revised edition 1879-1880), remarkable for its delicate autographic portraiture and the beautiful episodes interwoven with the action. this was followed by _die leute von seldwyla_ (1856), studies of swiss provincial life, including in _romeo und julia auf dem dorfe_ one of the most powerful short stories in the german language, and in _die drei gerechten kammmacher_, almost as great a masterpiece of humorous writing. returning to his native city with a considerable reputation, he received in 1861 the appointment of secretary to the canton. for a time his creative faculty seemed paralysed by his public duties, but in 1872 appeared _sieben legenden_, and in 1874 a second series of _die leute von seldwyla_, in both of which books he displayed no abatement of power and originality. he retired from the public service in 1876 and employed his leisure in the production of _zuricher novellen_ (1878), _das sinngedicht_, a collection of short stories (1881), and a novel, _martin salander_ (berlin, 1886). he died on the 15th of july 1890 at hottingen. keller's place among german novelists is very high. few have united such fancy and imagination to such uncompromising realism, or such tragic earnestness to such abounding humour. as a lyric poet, his genius is no less original; he takes rank with the best german poets of this class in the second half of the 19th century. keller's _gesammelte werke_ were published in 10 vols. (1889-1890), to which was added another volume, _nachgelassene schriften und dichtungen_, containing the fragment of a tragedy (1893). in english appeared, _g. keller: a selection of his tales translated with a memoir by kate freiligrath-kroeker_ (1891). for a further estimate of keller's life and works cf. o. brahm (1883); e. brenning, _g. keller nach seinem leben und dichten_ (1892); f. baldensperger, _g. keller; sa vie et ses oeuvres_ (1893); a. frey, _erinnerungen an gottfried keller_ (1893); j. baechtold, _kellers leben. seine briefe und tagebucher_ (berlin, 1894-1897); a. koster, _g. keller_ (1900; 2nd ed., 1907); and for his work as a painter, h. e. von berlepsch, _gottfried keller als maler_ (1895).