Leopold Friedrich Günther von Goeckingk
Encyclopedia
Leopold Friedrich Günther von Goeckingk, also Göckingk (13 July 1748 – 18 February 1828) was a German lyric poet, journalist, and Prussian official.
(Landkreis Börde) and went to school in Halberstadt
, where he became friends with Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim
. He continued his schooling at Halle
, where he was a fellow pupil of Gottfried August Bürger
. He went to the university of that city and studied book-keeping and jurisprudence
. After finishing his studies in 1768 he became Referendar in the War and Territorial Chamber in Halberstadt. From 1770 he was chancellery director in the Prussian settlement of Ellrich
and found the time to begin a career as writer with Lieder zweier Liebenden ("Songs of Two Lovers"), and met his future wife Ferdinande Vogel (d. 1781). Between 1776 and 1779 he helped edit the Göttinger Musenalmanach
, and in 1783 he founded the Journals von und für Deutschland. In 1786 he became a councillor in the War and Territorial Chamber in Magdeburg
, in 1788 an agricultural tax commissioner in Wernigerode
and Prussian commissar, and in 1793 upper privy councillor of finance in Berlin
.
Goeckingk was ennobled in 1789 as a reward for successfully putting the affairs of the Royal Abbey of Quedlinburg
in order. From this point on he styled himself Goeckingk auf Daldorf und Günthersdorf. After the General Directory in Berlin was dissolved following the Treaty of Tilsit (1807), he made his resignation in 1808 and turned back to poetry. He lived for several years in Wernigerode.
In 1814 he withdrew from his remaining official responsibilities and went into retirement. He live at first in Berlin, then moved in with his daughter at Groß Wartenberg, now Syców
, where he died on 18 February 1828.
Goeckingk belonged to the Halberstädter Dichterkreis ("Halberstadt Poets' Circle") and was one of its most outstanding representatives. He was also a member of the Berliner Mittwochsgesellschaft
("Berlin Wednesdays Society"), and the Illuminati
in Göttingen. He was the brother-in-law of the jurist
and poet Johann Gottlob Benjamin Pfeil (1732–1800).
Life
Goeckingk was born in GröningenGröningen
Gröningen is a town in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It lies approx. 40 km south-west of Magdeburg, and 10 km east of Halberstadt. It has 4,180 inhabitants . Gröningen is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Westliche Börde....
(Landkreis Börde) and went to school in Halberstadt
Halberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
, where he became friends with Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim
Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim
Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim was a German poet.- Life :Gleim was born at Ermsleben near Halberstadt. Having studied law at the University of Halle he became secretary to Prince William of Brandenburg-Schwedt at Berlin, where he made the acquaintance of Ewald von Kleist, whose devoted friend he...
. He continued his schooling at 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 he was a fellow pupil of Gottfried August Bürger
Gottfried August Bürger
Gottfried August Bürger was a German poet. His ballads were very popular in Germany. His most noted ballad, Lenore, found an audience beyond readers of the German language in an English adaptation and a French translation.-Biography:He was born in Molmerswende , Principality of Halberstadt, where...
. He went to the university of that city and studied book-keeping and jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
. After finishing his studies in 1768 he became Referendar in the War and Territorial Chamber in Halberstadt. From 1770 he was chancellery director in the Prussian settlement of Ellrich
Ellrich
Ellrich is a town in the district of Nordhausen, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the southern edge of the Harz, 13 km northwest of Nordhausen....
and found the time to begin a career as writer with Lieder zweier Liebenden ("Songs of Two Lovers"), and met his future wife Ferdinande Vogel (d. 1781). Between 1776 and 1779 he helped edit the Göttinger Musenalmanach
Göttinger Musenalmanach
Göttinger Musenalmanach was the title of two different literary magazines published in Göttingen, Germany, one running from 1770 to 1807, the other 1896 to 1953...
, and in 1783 he founded the Journals von und für Deutschland. In 1786 he became a councillor in the War and Territorial Chamber in Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, in 1788 an agricultural tax commissioner in Wernigerode
Wernigerode
Wernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
and Prussian commissar, and in 1793 upper privy councillor of finance in 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...
.
Goeckingk was ennobled in 1789 as a reward for successfully putting the affairs of the Royal Abbey of Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....
in order. From this point on he styled himself Goeckingk auf Daldorf und Günthersdorf. After the General Directory in Berlin was dissolved following the Treaty of Tilsit (1807), he made his resignation in 1808 and turned back to poetry. He lived for several years in Wernigerode.
In 1814 he withdrew from his remaining official responsibilities and went into retirement. He live at first in Berlin, then moved in with his daughter at Groß Wartenberg, now Syców
Syców
Syców is a town in Oleśnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Syców....
, where he died on 18 February 1828.
Goeckingk belonged to the Halberstädter Dichterkreis ("Halberstadt Poets' Circle") and was one of its most outstanding representatives. He was also a member of the Berliner Mittwochsgesellschaft
Berliner Mittwochsgesellschaft
The Berliner Mittwochsgesellschaft was a small group of German liberal thinkers in Berlin.As early as 1783 , intellectuals associated with the Late Enlightenment had gathered in a Gesellschaft der Freunde der Aufklärung, or Society of Friends of the Enlightenment...
("Berlin Wednesdays Society"), and 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...
in Göttingen. He was the brother-in-law of the jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and poet Johann Gottlob Benjamin Pfeil (1732–1800).
Selected works
- Sinngedichte. Halberstadt 1772; 2. Aufl. Leipzig 1778
- Gedichte. Leipzig 1779-82, 3 Bde.; 3. Aufl., Frankfurt am Main 1821, 4 Bde.
- Lieder zweier Liebenden, Leipzig 1777; 3. Aufl. Leipzig 1819
Editorial works
- Journal von und für Deutschland, edited by Sigmund von Bibra and Leopold Friedrich Günther von Goeckingk. Frankfurt am Main 1784 (von Bibra alone from 1792)
- Reise des Herrn von Bretschneider nach London und Paris, nebst Auszügen aus seinen Briefen an Herrn Friedrich Nicolai. Berlin 1817
- Friedrich Nicolai's Leben und literarischer Nachlaß. Berlin 1820