Conrad Ferdinand Meyer
Conrad Ferdinand Meyer was a notable Swiss poet and novelist born into a family with a rich cultural background. His father, Ferdinand Meyer, was a historian, which influenced Conrad's own interest in history from a young age, while his mother struggled with mental health issues, traits which Conrad inherited. After a tumultuous youth that included a mental health crisis, he found encouragement and mentorship from historian Louis Vulliemin, which allowed him to pursue his passion for literature.
Meyer’s literary career was marked by a significant breakthrough in 1871 with the publication of "Huttens Lezte Tage," a collection of poems that established his reputation. He subsequently focused on themes from German culture and historical periods, particularly the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation. His novella "Der Heliege," which delves into the historical conflict between Thomas Becket and Henry II, is considered one of his finest works. Despite some personal struggles with mental health later in life, including severe depression, Meyer continued to produce influential writings until his passing. His legacy endures through his contributions to German literature, especially in terms of historical ballads and poetry.
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Conrad Ferdinand Meyer
Poet
- Born: October 11, 1825
- Birthplace: Zurich, Switzerland
- Died: November 28, 1898
Biography
Conrad Ferdinand Meyer was born to Ferdinand Meyer, a historian and councilman, and Elisabeth Meyer-Ulrich. Meyer enjoyed summers trekking through Switzerland with his father, from whom he inherited an interest in history. From his mother, he inherited emotional and mental difficulties that included manic depression and suicidal tendencies. When Ferdinand Meyer died in 1840, his widow took overprotective care of their son, but in 1843 the eighteen-year-old Conrad Meyer broke away to spend the summer in Lausanne with Louis Vulliemin, a famed historian.
Upon returning to his Zurich home, Meyer began law studies but abandoned them not long afterward. At age twenty-seven, he was admitted to the Préfargier psychiatric clinic near Neuenburg, where he stayed for a year, until deemed cured. Vulliemin helped Meyer to feel secure in himself, and while at Lausanne again, Meyer was drawn back to his earlier love for French language and literature. He translated some French texts into German. Vulliemin then helped Meyer become a history teacher at the Lausanne’s Institute for the Blind. In 1856, when Meyer’s mother was also a patient at the Préfargier clinic, she drowned herself.
Meyer was left with his sister, Betsy, who had been and continued to be his closest friend and supporter and who also became his editorial assistant. With an inheritance, the two were able to travel widely. It was during these travels that Meyer developed his writing. In 1858, when the two traveled to Italy for the first time, Meyer discovered his profound interest in the classical arts, particularly the art of Michelangelo, which greatly influenced Meyer’s poems on art and objects.
Brother and sister moved to a country estate in Küsnacht in 1868 and to another country estate in Meilen in 1872, and in 1871, Meyer’s breakthrough piece was published: The epic Huttens Lezte Tage (Hutten’s last days) collected seventy-one iambic-verse poems. Soon after this turning point, Meyer’s focus shifted away from French literature. Until the early 1890’s, his poetry and historical writings focused on German culture and on the history of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation. The years between 1875 and 1887 saw the production of Meyer’s most creative and mature work. His novella Der Heliege, published in 1879, focused on the dramatic story of Henry II and archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. This was one of his best works of fiction, and Meyer’s historical ballads are considered among the finest of the late nineteenth century in German-speaking nations
In 1875, Meyer married Marie Luise Ziegler, and four years later, when Meyer was fifty-four, the couple’s only child, daughter Camilla, was born. But in 1888, during a physical illness, Meyer’s mental health began to deteriorate, and a severe depression lasted until the following year. Another breakdown in 1892 led to a long stay at the Königsfelden clinic, until 1893. After returning to his home in Kilchberg, Meyer lived a reserved life for his remaining years.