Johann Bernhard Vermehren
Encyclopedia
Johann Bernhard Vermehren (6 June 1777 in Lübeck
– 29 November 1803 in Jena
) was an early Romantic
poet and scholar.
He earned a doctoral degree in philosophy from the University of Jena in 1799, obtaining habilitation
one year later and teaching as Privatdozent
until his early death from scarlet fever
.
His first poems appeared in Friedrich Schiller
's Musenalmanach. The appearance in 1800 of his ten Letters on a Reassessment of Friedrich Schlegel's "Lucinde" brought him to the attention of the author in question; however, in general, criticism of the 350-page work was biting, and it was quickly superseded by Friedrich Schleiermacher's Vertraute Briefe ("Familiar letters") on the same subject. With Schlegel's assistance, Vermehren produced two issues of his own Musenalmanach, the first at Leipzig
in 1802 and the second at Jena
the next year. They contained fifteen poems by Schlegel and the work of Sophie Mereau (1770-1806), Stephan August Winkelmann (1780-1806), Klopstock
and Hölderlin.
Family tradition ascribed to him the book Jesus, wie er lebte und lehrte which was published in Halle
in 1799, and in the last year of his life he wrote a fairy-tale, "Schloss Rosenthal" ("Rosenthal Castle"). On 2 December 1803, Goethe mentioned the death slightingly in a letter to Schiller: "Poor Vermehren has died. Probably he would still be living had he continued writing his mediocre verse. The post office job has proved fatal."
Vermehren married on 20 April 1801. His wife was Henriette Eber, twelve years older, a widow of the Jena Postmaster and daughter of the privy councillor Prof. Johann Ludwig von Eckardt (1732-1800). They had one son, Johann Bernhard Vermehren, who would become a privy councillor in the Supreme Court of Appeals for the Ernestine Duchies
. After Vermehren's death, Henriette (d. 1842) married the mathematician Johann Heinrich Voigt (1751-1823).
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
– 29 November 1803 in Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
) was an early Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
poet and scholar.
He earned a doctoral degree in philosophy from the University of Jena in 1799, obtaining habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
one year later and teaching as Privatdozent
Privatdozent
Privatdozent or Private lecturer is a title conferred in some European university systems, especially in German-speaking countries, for someone who pursues an academic career and holds all formal qualifications to become a tenured university professor...
until his early death from scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
.
His first poems appeared in Friedrich Schiller
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life , Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe...
's Musenalmanach. The appearance in 1800 of his ten Letters on a Reassessment of Friedrich Schlegel's "Lucinde" brought him to the attention of the author in question; however, in general, criticism of the 350-page work was biting, and it was quickly superseded by Friedrich Schleiermacher's Vertraute Briefe ("Familiar letters") on the same subject. With Schlegel's assistance, Vermehren produced two issues of his own Musenalmanach, the first at Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
in 1802 and the second at Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
the next year. They contained fifteen poems by Schlegel and the work of Sophie Mereau (1770-1806), Stephan August Winkelmann (1780-1806), Klopstock
Klopstock
Klopstock * Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock , a German poet** 9344 Klopstock , a Main-belt Asteroid discovered on 1991 by F. Borngen...
and Hölderlin.
Family tradition ascribed to him the book Jesus, wie er lebte und lehrte which was published in Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
in 1799, and in the last year of his life he wrote a fairy-tale, "Schloss Rosenthal" ("Rosenthal Castle"). On 2 December 1803, Goethe mentioned the death slightingly in a letter to Schiller: "Poor Vermehren has died. Probably he would still be living had he continued writing his mediocre verse. The post office job has proved fatal."
Vermehren married on 20 April 1801. His wife was Henriette Eber, twelve years older, a widow of the Jena Postmaster and daughter of the privy councillor Prof. Johann Ludwig von Eckardt (1732-1800). They had one son, Johann Bernhard Vermehren, who would become a privy councillor in the Supreme Court of Appeals for the Ernestine Duchies
Ernestine duchies
The Ernestine duchies, also called the Saxon duchies , were a changing number of small states largely located in the present German state of Thuringia, governed by dukes of the Ernestine line of the House of Wettin.-Overview:The...
. After Vermehren's death, Henriette (d. 1842) married the mathematician Johann Heinrich Voigt (1751-1823).