Christian Weise

Christian Weise (30 April 1642 – 21 October 1708), also known under the pseudonyms Siegmund Gleichviel, Orontes, Catharinus Civilis and Tarquinius Eatullus, was a German writer, dramatist, poet, pedagogue and librarian of the Baroque era.

Biography

Christian Weise was born in Zittau, the son of Elias Weise, a magister tertium or assistant teacher. Weise studied theology at the University of Leipzig, gaining a Magister's degree in 1663. His studies expanded into rhetoric, politics, history and poetry, and for a brief period after his graduation he lectured there in those subjects. However, in 1668 he secured a post at the court in Halle, as the secretary of Simon Philipp von Leiningen-Westerburg, the minister of Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels. In 1670 Weise became Hofmeister for Gustav Adolf von der Schulenburg, the Baron of Emden. However, later that same year he moved again, to teach at a school in Weißenfels, the Gymnasium Illustre Augusteum.

In 1678 he became Rektor (headmaster) of the Gymnasium in Zittau, and also took the position of city librarian there. During his time at the Gymnasium he wrote a large number of dramatic works, which were staged by his pupils. As well as continuing the German school drama tradition, he wrote satires on the social and political ills of the time, criticizing the higher levels of society from the viewpoint of those lower down. Unusually for a writer of the Baroque era, he employed an exceptionally sober and realistic style. His comedies, written in the dialects of Upper Lusatia and North Bohemia, gave a sympathetic portrayal of common people.

By the end of the century he introduced German as the school's language of instruction. In 1708 he gave up his position as Rektor due to failing eyesight, and died in Zittau the same year. The modern successor to his school is called the Christian-Weise-Gymnasium.

During his time as librarian at Zittau's Ratsbibliothek, he made substantial additions to the library's collections. These are held by Zittau's modern library, which was named the Christian-Weise-Bibliothek in 1954. In the 1950s a revival of his 1683 tragedy Masaniello was also staged in Zittau.

Works

Selected works include:

Drama

• Die triumphirende Keuschheit (1668), comedy
• Der grünen Jugend nothwendige Gedancken (1675), lyric drama
• Baurischer Machiavellus (1679)
• Von Tobias und der Schwalbe (1682), comedy
• Masaniello (1683), tragedy
• Der verfolgte Lateiner (1696)

Poetry

• Der grünen Jugend uberflüssige Gedanken (1668)

Novels

• Die drey Haupt-Verderber in Teutschland (1671)
• Die drey ärgsten Ertz-Narren (1672)
• Der politische Redner (1677)
• Der politische Näscher (1678)
• Neu-erleuterter politischer Redner (1684)

Other writings

• De poesi hodiernorum politicorum (1678)
• Politische Fragen (1690)
• Curiöse Gedancken von deutschen Brieffen (1691)
• Curiöse Gedancken von deutschen Versen (1692)
• Curiöse Gedancken von Wolcken-Brüchen (1701)
• Epistolae selectiores (1716)