Friedrich Nicolai
Friedrich Nicolai was a notable German author and publisher born on March 18, 1733, in Berlin. He was the son of a successful bookseller, which enabled him to receive a solid education. Nicolai's literary career began after he returned to Berlin in 1752, where he gained recognition for defending the works of poet John Milton against contemporary criticisms. His engagement in literary circles led to friendships with prominent figures such as Gotthold Lessing and Moses Mendelssohn. In 1757, he co-founded the periodical *Bibliothek der schönen Wissenschaften*, which contributed to literary discourse until 1760, and later established the journal *Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend* in partnership with Mendelssohn and Lessing. He also edited the *Allgemeine deutsche Bibliothek*, focusing on the ideas of philosophers critiquing authority in religion and literature. Despite his initial prominence, Nicolai's work, including romances and satires, has largely faded from memory. His later years saw the publication of *Beschreibung einer Reise durch Deutschland und die Schweiz*, a twelve-volume travelogue reflecting his conservative views. Nicolai's contributions highlight his complex engagement with the cultural and philosophical currents of his time.
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Friedrich Nicolai
Writer
- Born: March 18, 1733
- Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
- Died: January 8, 1811
Biography
Friedrich Nicolai was born in Berlin, Germany, on March 18, 1733. He was the son of successful bookseller and publisher, Christoph Gottlieb Nicolai. Because of his father’s wealth, Nicolai received a good education. In 1749, he went to Frankfurt to learn his father’s business. At the same time, he also became acquainted with English literature.
Nicolai returned to Berlin in 1752 and became embroiled in a literary controversy by defending the works of poet John Milton against the attacks of critic J. C. Gottsched. His defense of Milton, Briefe über den jetzigen Zustand der schonen Wissenschaften in Deutschland, won him the friendship of writer Gotthold Lessing and philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. In 1757, in partnership with Mendelssohn, he founded the Bibliothek der schonen Wissenschaften, a periodical with which he was associated until 1760. In 1769 he established the periodical Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend with Mendelssohn and Lessing. He also edited Allegemeine deustche Bibliothek, a periodical that published the views and opinions of popular philosophers who wrote against authority in religion and extravagance in literature, among other things.
Unfortunately, Nicolai was somewhat naïve, and his misrepresentation of the aims of these philosophic writers was ridiculed. Although Nicolai wrote romances and a satire of one of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s works, his work is largely forgotten. Between 1783 and 1796, he published a twelve volume work, Besschreibung einer Reise durch Deutschland und die Schwarz, which documents the narrow conservatism of his views in his later life.