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    "source_title": "Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911)",
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    "chunk_id": "1911:lavater:06445e06846f",
    "title": "LAVATER",
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    "verified_text": "lavater, johann kaspar (1741-1801), german poet and physiognomist, was born at zurich on the 15th of november 1741. he was educated at the gymnasium of his native town, where j. j. bodmer and j. j. breitinger were among his teachers. when barely one-and-twenty he greatly distinguished himself by denouncing, in conjunction with his friend, the painter h. fuseli, an iniquitous magistrate, who was compelled to make restitution of his ill-gotten gains. in 1769 lavater took orders, and officiated till his death as deacon or pastor in various churches in his native city. his oratorical fervour and genuine depth of conviction gave him great personal influence; he was extensively consulted as a casuist, and was welcomed with demonstrative enthusiasm in his numerous journeys through germany. his mystical writings were also widely popular. scarcely a trace of this influence has remained, and lavater's name would be forgotten but for his work on physiognomy, _physiognomische fragmente zur beforderung der menschenkenntnis und menschenliebe_ (1775-1778). the fame even of this book, which found enthusiastic admirers in france and england, as well as in germany, rests to a great extent upon the handsome style of publication and the accompanying illustrations. it left, however, the study of physiognomy (q.v.), as desultory and unscientific as it found it. as a poet, lavater published _christliche lieder_ (1776-1780) and two epics, _jesus messias_ (1780) and _joseph von arimathia_ (1794), in the style of klopstock. more important and characteristic of the religious temperament of lavater's age are his introspective _aussichten in die ewigkeit_ (4 vols., 1768-1778); _geheimes tagebuch von einem beobachter seiner selbst_ (2 vols., 1772-1773) and _pontius pilatus, oder der mensch in allen gestalten_ (4 vols., 1782-1785). from 1774 on, goethe was intimately acquainted with lavater, but at a later period he became estranged from him, somewhat abruptly accusing him of superstition and hypocrisy. lavater had a mystic's indifference to historical christianity, and, although esteemed by himself and others a champion of orthodoxy, was in fact only an antagonist of rationalism. during the later years of his life his influence waned, and he incurred ridicule by some exhibitions of vanity. he redeemed himself by his patriotic conduct during the french occupation of switzerland, which brought about his tragical death. on the taking of zurich by the french in 1799, lavater, while endeavouring to appease the soldiery, was shot through the body by an infuriated grenadier; he died after long sufferings borne with great fortitude, on the 2nd of january 1801. lavater himself published two collections of his writings, _vermischte schriften_ (2 vols., 1774-1781), and _kleinere prosaische schriften_ (3 vols., 1784-1785). his _nachgelassene schriften_ were edited by g. gessner (5 vols., 1801-1802); _samtliche werke_ (but only poems) (6 vols., 1836-1838); _ausgewahlte schriften_ (8 vols., 1841-1844). see g. gessner, _lavaters lebensbeschreibung_ (3 vols., 1802-1803); u. hegner, _beitrage zur kenntnis lavaters_ (1836); f. w. bodemann, _lavater nach seinem leben, lehren und wirken_ (1856; 2nd ed., 1877); f. muncker, _j. k. lavater_ (1883); h. waser, _j. k. lavater nach hegners aufzeichnungen_ (1894); _j. k. lavater, denkschrift zum 100. todestag_ (1902).",
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