Karl Friedrich Bahrdt
Encyclopedia
Karl Friedrich Bahrdt German
theologian
and adventurer, was born at Bischofswerda
, Upper Lusatia
, where his father, afterwards professor, canon and general superintendent at Leipzig
, was pastor.
At the age of sixteen young Bahrdt, a precocious lad whose training had been neglected, began to study theology under the orthodox mystic Christian August Crusius
(1715–1775), who in 1757 had become first professor in the theological faculty. The boy varied the monotony of his studies by pranks which revealed his unbalanced character, including an attempt to raise spirits with the aid of Dr Faust's Höllenzwang. His orthodoxy was, however, unimpeachable, his talent conspicuous, and in 1761 he was appointed lecturer on biblical exegesis, and preacher (Katechet) at the church of St Peter. His eloquence soon gave him a reputation, and in 1766 he was appointed professor extraordinarius of biblical philology
. Two years later, however, the scandals of his private life led to his dismissal.
In spite of this Christian Adolph Klotz
supported him to obtain the chair of biblical antiquities in the philosophical faculty at Erfurt
. The post was unpaid, and Bahrdt, who had now married, lived by taking pupils and keeping an inn. He had meanwhile obtained the degree of doctor of theology from Erlangen, and persuaded the Erfurt authorities to appoint him professor designate of theology. His financial troubles and coarse and truculent character, however, soon made the town too hot to hold him; and in 1771 he was glad to accept the offer of the post of professor of theology and preacher at Gießen
.
Thus far Bahrdt's orthodoxy had counterbalanced his character; but at Gießen, where his behaviour was no less objectionable than elsewhere, he gave a handle to his enemies by a change in his public attitude towards religion. The climax came with the publication of his Neueste Offenbarungen Gottes in Briefen und Erzählungen (1773–1775), purporting to be a "model version" of the New Testament
, rendered, with due regard to enlightenment, into modern German
. The book is remembered solely through Goethe
's scornful attack on its want of taste; its immediate effect was to produce Bahrdt's expulsion from Gießen.
He was lucky enough at once to find a post as principal of the educational institution established in his château at Marschlins by the Swiss statesman Ulysses von Salis (1728–1800). The school had languished since the death of its founder and first head, Martin Planta (1727–1772), and von Salis hoped to revive it by reconstituting it as a "Philanthropin" under Bahrdt's management. The experiment was a failure; Bahrdt, never at ease under the strict discipline maintained by von Salis, resigned in 1777, and the school was closed. At the invitation of the count of Leiningen-Dachsburg, Bahrdt now went as general superintendent to Dürkheim an der Hardt
; his luckless translation of the Testament, however, pursued him, and in 1778 he was suspended by a decision of the Court Council of the Empire.
In dire poverty he fled, in 1779, to Halle
, where in spite of the opposition of the senate and the theologians, he obtained through the interest of the Prussian minister, Abraham von Zedlitz, permission to lecture on subjects other than theology. Forced to earn a living by writing, he developed an astounding literary activity. His orthodoxy had now quite gone by the board, and all his efforts were directed to the propaganda of a "moral system" which should replace supernatural Christianity. In 1787 he founded an Enlightenment-era secret society called the German Union, comparable to the Illuminati
.
By such means Bahrdt succeeded in maintaining himself until, on the death of Frederick the Great, the religious reaction set in at the Berlin
court. The strain of writing had forced him to give up his lectures, and he had again opened an inn on the Weinberg
near Halle. Here he lived with his mistress and his daughters—he had repudiated his wife—in disreputable peace until 1789, when he was condemned to a year's imprisonment for a lampoon
on the Prussia
n religious edict of 1788. The German Union had to be dissolved in 1790 after it was made public by Johann Joachim Christoph Bode
. Bahrdt's year's enforced leisure he spent in writing indecent stories, coarse polemics, and an autobiography which is described as "a mixture of lies, hypocrisy and self-prostitution." He died in Nietleben near Halle on 23 April 1792.
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...
theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and adventurer, was born at Bischofswerda
Bischofswerda
Bischofswerda is a small town in Germany at the western edge of Upper Lusatia in Saxony.-Geography:The town is located 33 km to the east of Dresden at the edge of the Upper Lusatian mountain country. The town is known as the "Gateway to Upper Lusatia" - "Tor zur Oberlausitz" in German. It is...
, Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia is a region a biggest part of which belongs to Saxony, a small eastern part belongs to Poland, the northern part to Brandenburg. In Saxony, Upper Lusatia comprises roughly the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz , in Brandenburg the southern part of district Oberspreewald-Lausitz...
, where his father, afterwards professor, canon and general superintendent 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...
, was pastor.
At the age of sixteen young Bahrdt, a precocious lad whose training had been neglected, began to study theology under the orthodox mystic Christian August Crusius
Christian August Crusius
Christian August Crusius was a German philosopher and Protestant theologian.-Biography:Crusius was born at Leuna in the Electorate of Saxony...
(1715–1775), who in 1757 had become first professor in the theological faculty. The boy varied the monotony of his studies by pranks which revealed his unbalanced character, including an attempt to raise spirits with the aid of Dr Faust's Höllenzwang. His orthodoxy was, however, unimpeachable, his talent conspicuous, and in 1761 he was appointed lecturer on biblical exegesis, and preacher (Katechet) at the church of St Peter. His eloquence soon gave him a reputation, and in 1766 he was appointed professor extraordinarius of biblical philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
. Two years later, however, the scandals of his private life led to his dismissal.
In spite of this Christian Adolph Klotz
Christian Adolph Klotz
Christian Adolph Klotz was a German philologist. He was a renowned representative of the transition period between the Age of Enlightenment and Sturm und Drang.-Education:...
supported him to obtain the chair of biblical antiquities in the philosophical faculty at Erfurt
University of Erfurt
The University of Erfurt is a public university located in Erfurt, Germany. Originally founded in 1379, the university was closed in 1816 for the next 177 years...
. The post was unpaid, and Bahrdt, who had now married, lived by taking pupils and keeping an inn. He had meanwhile obtained the degree of doctor of theology from Erlangen, and persuaded the Erfurt authorities to appoint him professor designate of theology. His financial troubles and coarse and truculent character, however, soon made the town too hot to hold him; and in 1771 he was glad to accept the offer of the post of professor of theology and preacher at Gießen
University of Giessen
The University of Giessen is officially called the Justus Liebig University Giessen after its most famous faculty member, Justus von Liebig, the founder of modern agricultural chemistry and inventor of artificial fertiliser.-History:The University of Gießen is among the oldest institutions of...
.
Thus far Bahrdt's orthodoxy had counterbalanced his character; but at Gießen, where his behaviour was no less objectionable than elsewhere, he gave a handle to his enemies by a change in his public attitude towards religion. The climax came with the publication of his Neueste Offenbarungen Gottes in Briefen und Erzählungen (1773–1775), purporting to be a "model version" of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, rendered, with due regard to enlightenment, into modern German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. The book is remembered solely through 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...
's scornful attack on its want of taste; its immediate effect was to produce Bahrdt's expulsion from Gießen.
He was lucky enough at once to find a post as principal of the educational institution established in his château at Marschlins by the Swiss statesman Ulysses von Salis (1728–1800). The school had languished since the death of its founder and first head, Martin Planta (1727–1772), and von Salis hoped to revive it by reconstituting it as a "Philanthropin" under Bahrdt's management. The experiment was a failure; Bahrdt, never at ease under the strict discipline maintained by von Salis, resigned in 1777, and the school was closed. At the invitation of the count of Leiningen-Dachsburg, Bahrdt now went as general superintendent to Dürkheim an der Hardt
Bad Dürkheim
Bad Dürkheim is a spa town in the Rhine-Neckar urban agglomeration, and is the seat of the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
; his luckless translation of the Testament, however, pursued him, and in 1778 he was suspended by a decision of the Court Council of the Empire.
In dire poverty he fled, in 1779, to 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...
, where in spite of the opposition of the senate and the theologians, he obtained through the interest of the Prussian minister, Abraham von Zedlitz, permission to lecture on subjects other than theology. Forced to earn a living by writing, he developed an astounding literary activity. His orthodoxy had now quite gone by the board, and all his efforts were directed to the propaganda of a "moral system" which should replace supernatural Christianity. In 1787 he founded an Enlightenment-era secret society called the German Union, comparable to the Illuminati
Illuminati
The Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically the name refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776...
.
By such means Bahrdt succeeded in maintaining himself until, on the death of Frederick the Great, the religious reaction set in at the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
court. The strain of writing had forced him to give up his lectures, and he had again opened an inn on the Weinberg
Weinberg
Weinberg may refer to:* Weinberg an der Raab in Styria* Weinberg Center for the Arts- Other Results :* Weinberg angle* Weinberg's Law of Twins* Hardy-Weinberg principle* Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences- See also :...
near Halle. Here he lived with his mistress and his daughters—he had repudiated his wife—in disreputable peace until 1789, when he was condemned to a year's imprisonment for a lampoon
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
on the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n religious edict of 1788. The German Union had to be dissolved in 1790 after it was made public by Johann Joachim Christoph Bode
Johann Joachim Christoph Bode
Johann Joachim Christoph Bode was a well-known German translator of literary works.-Life:Bode was born in Braunschweig, the son of a poor day laborer from Schöppenstedt, and went as a shepherd boy to his grandfather in Barum. From 1745 he studied music in Braunschweig, and in 1750 became an oboist...
. Bahrdt's year's enforced leisure he spent in writing indecent stories, coarse polemics, and an autobiography which is described as "a mixture of lies, hypocrisy and self-prostitution." He died in Nietleben near Halle on 23 April 1792.
Works
- Books by Karl Friedrich Bahrdt at Open LibraryOpen LibraryOpen Library is an online project intended to create “one web page for every book ever published”. Open Library is a project of the non-profit Internet Archive and has been funded in part by a grant from the California State Library and the Kahle/Austin Foundation.-Books for the blind and...