Christian August Vulpius
Encyclopedia
Christian August Vulpius (23 January 1762 – 25 June 1827) was a German
novelist and dramatist. His sister married the noted German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
.
, and was educated at Jena and Erlangen. In 1790, he returned to Weimar, where Goethe obtained employment for him. Here, since 1788, Goethe had been contentedly living quasi-maritally with Vulpius's sister Christiane
.
In Weimar, Vulpius began, in imitation of Christian Heinrich Spiess
, to write a series of romantic narratives: operas, dramas and tales. Of these (about sixty in number), his Rinaldo Rinaldini, the Robber Captain (1797), is the most notorious. A typical “penny dreadful
” of the period, it was often translated and much imitated, but unrivaled in its bad eminence. Its scene was laid in Italy
during the Middle Ages
. Vulpius was also active as an editor.
In 1797, possibly through Goethe's influence, Vulpius obtained employment at the Weimar library, of which he became chief librarian in 1806. In the latter year, Goethe also formally married Christiane. Christian died at Weimar on the 25th of June 1827.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
novelist and dramatist. His sister married the noted German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
.
Biography
He was born at WeimarWeimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, and was educated at Jena and Erlangen. In 1790, he returned to Weimar, where Goethe obtained employment for him. Here, since 1788, Goethe had been contentedly living quasi-maritally with Vulpius's sister Christiane
Christiane Vulpius
Johanna Christiana Sophie Vulpius was the mistress and wife of Johann Wolfgang Goethe.-Biography:In 1788, when a young woman of Weimar, Goethe addressed to her the Römische Elegien, an epithalamium...
.
In Weimar, Vulpius began, in imitation of Christian Heinrich Spiess
Christian Heinrich Spiess
Christian Heinrich Spiess , German writer of romances, was born at Freiberg in Saxony.For a time an actor, he was appointed in 1788 controller on the estate of a certain Count Königl at Besdiekau in Bohemia, where he died, almost insane, the result of his weird fancies, on 17 August 1799.Spiess, in...
, to write a series of romantic narratives: operas, dramas and tales. Of these (about sixty in number), his Rinaldo Rinaldini, the Robber Captain (1797), is the most notorious. A typical “penny dreadful
Penny Dreadful
A penny dreadful was a type of British fiction publication in the 19th century that usually featured lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing an penny...
” of the period, it was often translated and much imitated, but unrivaled in its bad eminence. Its scene was laid in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Vulpius was also active as an editor.
In 1797, possibly through Goethe's influence, Vulpius obtained employment at the Weimar library, of which he became chief librarian in 1806. In the latter year, Goethe also formally married Christiane. Christian died at Weimar on the 25th of June 1827.
Legacy
There are two movies based on Vulpius' most renowned penny-dread:- Rinaldo Rinaldini (film, 1927)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451887/
- Rinaldo Rinaldini, der Räuberhauptmann (TV-series with 13 episodes produced in 1968).