Ludwig Heinrich von Nicolai
Encyclopedia
Ludwig Heinrich von Nicolai (better: Nicolay) (1737-1820) (after adopting Orthodoxy ) was a poet of the Enlightenment
, librarian, secretary, academician and the President of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.
to a German aristocratic
family. He graduated from the University of Strasbourg
with a degree in law and afterwards quickly moved to Paris. There he acquainted with Voltaire
, Diderot, d'Alembert and other Enlightenment
famous men. In 1769 Nicolai was invited to the Russian Empire
to be a teacher for future Emperor Paul I of Russia
. When Paul became emperor, he promoted Nicolai to a member of cabinet and President of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (April 15, 1798 – June 2, 1803). His estate Monrepos
was in the city of Vyborg
, formerly a Finnish city, since 1945 a part of Russia. His private library, collections (cameos, letters and other documents) and pictures are now in the possession of the Finnish National Library in Helsinki. His library is a very rare example of the Russian libraries of the age of Enlightenment including for example many rare examples of Russian books in French.
In 1782 on the same day as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
, Nicolai was granted the title of baron
by Joseph II
.
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
, librarian, secretary, academician and the President of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.
Biography
Nicolai was born in StrasbourgStrasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
to a German aristocratic
German nobility
The German nobility was the elite hereditary ruling class or aristocratic class from ca. 500 B.C. to the Holy Roman Empire and what is now Germany.-Principles of German nobility:...
family. He graduated from the University of Strasbourg
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
with a degree in law and afterwards quickly moved to Paris. There he acquainted with Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
, Diderot, d'Alembert and other Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
famous men. In 1769 Nicolai was invited to the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
to be a teacher for future Emperor Paul I of Russia
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
. When Paul became emperor, he promoted Nicolai to a member of cabinet and President of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (April 15, 1798 – June 2, 1803). His estate Monrepos
Mon Repos (Vyborg)
Mon Repos or "Monrepos" is a manor house and landscaped English park in Vyborg.The park lies along the shoreline of the Zashchitnaya inlet of the Vyborg Bay in Vyborg, Russia, about from St. Petersburg and occupies about of land...
was in the city of Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
, formerly a Finnish city, since 1945 a part of Russia. His private library, collections (cameos, letters and other documents) and pictures are now in the possession of the Finnish National Library in Helsinki. His library is a very rare example of the Russian libraries of the age of Enlightenment including for example many rare examples of Russian books in French.
In 1782 on the same day as 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...
, Nicolai was granted the title of baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
by Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
.
Collected Works
- Elegien und Briefe. Straßburg 1760
- Verse und Prosa. Basel 1773 (2 Bde.)
- Vermischte Gedichte. Berlin 1778-1786 (9 Bde.)
- Vermischte Gedichte und prosaische Schriften. Berlin 1792-1810 (8 Bde.)
- Theatralische Werke. Königsberg 1811 (2 Bde.)
- Poetische Werke. Wien 1817 (4 Bde.)