Emanuel Geibel
Emanuel Geibel (1815-1884) was a notable German poet and translator, recognized for his contributions to literature in the 19th century. Born to a pastor in Germany, Geibel demonstrated academic prowess from a young age, studying at the katharineum and later at the University of Bonn and the University of Berlin. His career began as a tutor for the Russian ambassador's children in Greece, after which he returned to Germany and gained acclaim for his translations of classical Greek texts. Geibel's poetry journey commenced with his first published poem, "Vergessen," in 1833, leading to a prolific writing career that included multiple volumes of poetry and several plays.
In the 1840s, he took on a professorship at the University of Munich, where he was instrumental in founding the writer's club Krokodil. Despite facing personal tragedy with the early death of his wife Amanda Luise Trümmer, Geibel continued to create literary works until his passing in 1884. His legacy includes a rich collection of poetry and plays, signifying his importance in German literature.
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Emanuel Geibel
Poet
- Born: October 17, 1815
- Birthplace: Lübeck, Germany
- Died: April 6, 1884
- Place of death: Lübeck, Germany
Biography
The son of a respected pastor, poet Emanuel Geibel was born in Germany in 1815. Geibel attended school at the katharineum, a classical gymnasium, where he was a gifted student. He attended university at the University of Bonn, though in 1836 he left to study philosophy at the University of Berlin. After completing his studies, Geibel became a tutor to the children of the Russian ambassador Prince Katakazis, who was stationed in Greece. After tutoring the children for two years, Geibel returned to Germany. After his return, Geibel published some German translations of classical Greek texts, an accomplishment for which Geibel was well known for during his lifetime.
Geibel’s primary vocation, however, was poetry. He had published his first poem, “Vergessen” (forgotten), in 1833, while he was attending the University of Berlin. In the 1840’s, Geibel became a professor at the University of Munich, where he founded the writer’s club Krokodil (crocodile). In 1852, Geibel married Amanda Luise Trümmer, with whom he had a daughter. Trümmer tragically died just two years after they were married. Aside from poetry, Geibel also wrote several plays, one of which, König Roderich (King Roderich), in 1844, he considered a failure. Between 1840 and 1883, Geibel published many volumes of poetry as well as plays and was still in the process of composing numerous works when he passed away in 1884.