KNIGGE

knigge, adolf franz friedrich, freiherr von (1752-1796), german author, was born on the family estate of bredenbeck near hanover on the 16th of october 1752. after studying law at gottingen he was attached successively to the courts of hesse-cassel and weimar as gentleman-in-waiting. retiring from court service in 1777, he lived a private life with his family in frankfort-on-main, hanau, heidelberg and hanover until 1791, when he was appointed _oberhauptmann_ (civil administrator) in bremen, where he died on the 6th of may 1796. knigge, under the name "philo," was one of the most active members of the _illuminati_, a mutual moral and intellectual improvement society founded by adam weishaupt (1748-1830) at ingolstadt, and which later became affiliated to the freemasons. knigge is known as the author of several novels, among which _der roman meines lebens_ (1781-1787; new ed., 1805) and _die reise nach braunschweig_ (1792), the latter a rather coarsely comic story, are best remembered. his chief literary achievement was, however, _uber den umgang mit menschen_ (1788), in which he lays down rules to be observed for a peaceful, happy and useful life; it has been often reprinted. knigge's _schriften_ were published in 12 volumes (1804-1806). see k. goedeke, _adolf, freiherr von knigge_ (1844); and h. klencke, _aus einer alten kiste_ (_briefe, handschriften und dokumente aus dem nachlasse knigges_) (1853).