Literature and Poetry of Austria
The history of Austrian literature falls to be divided into two great epochs—that of the Middle Ages, and that of recent times since the middle of the seventeenth century.
From: Unknown To: 1899 C.E.
Location: Austria
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From Austria by Sydney Whitman and J. R. McIlraith, 1899.
The history of Austrian literature falls to be divided into two great epochs—that of the Middle Ages, and that of recent times since the middle of the seventeenth century. In the intervening period Austria might well be termed the "German Boeotia," not that genius was altogether lacking, but that it was not exemplified in either prose literature or poetry.
The two periods mentioned are strongly distinguished for this reason, that while in the Middle Ages Austria was the source of a rich national literature which influenced all Germany, in the latter period it was Germany which gave the impulse to Austrian endeavours.
As is only natural, much of the literature of Austria is shared in common with Germany, and this holds good even of the earliest times. Thus among the earliest literary works of Austria are the Niebelungenlied and the Kudrunlied, both of which are held in equal esteem in Germany. The former was reproduced in Upper Austria in the twelfth century, it is said by Kurnberger, while the latter became fixed in a literary shape in Styria towards the end of the twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth century. At that time the monasteries, too, were the home of a special form of religious poetry, including such pieces as the "Marienleben" of the Carthusian Philip of Seitz, and the "Auferstehung Christi" of Gundacker, of Judenburg.
Lyric poetry also flourished under the guidance of Kurnberger and Dietmar, of Aist, both of Upper Austria. But the great period of bloom was under the Babenbergs. This dynasty was highly cultured and of artistic tastes, and did its utmost to foster the intellectual life of its people. Even Henry of Mödling, Leopold the Illustrious, and Frederick the Valiant themselves indulged in verse composition, and in their time Vienna became a real centre to which masters in verse flocked in numbers. Resident in the capital were Reimar the Elder (the nightingale of Hagenau), Reimar von Zweter, Conrad Marner, Steinmar, &c., and Tyrolese Walther von der Vogelweide wrote some of his finest songs there.
Of the famous Lower Austrians of that period perhaps the best known are Geltar, Dietmar der Sezzer (from Baden), and Kol von Neunzen (from Zwetl); and of the Upper Austrians, Hartwig von Rauten, Herrand von Wildonie (from Styria), Konrad von Sonneck, Rudolf von Stadecke, and Ulrich von Liechtenstein. Carinthia and Salzburg, too, sent many writers to Vienna; thus from Salzburg came the famous Tanhäuser, and from Carinthia, Heinrich von Lienz and Zachaeus von Himmelbern. Of those just mentioned many wrote not only lyric but epic poetry.
Lastly, in the department of historical literature we have famous chroniclers; indeed, Vienna and Styria produced the two most distinguished chroniclers of the thirteenth century—namely, Hans Enenkel, who wrote the Chronicles of the world, and "das Fürstenbuch," of Styria, and Steier, who narrates the history of the Austrian provinces down to the death of Frederick the Valiant. If these writers lacked imagination and warmth of sentiment, they at all events manifested a critical observation of men and things and showed that they possessed sound judgment.
In the fourteenth century a humbler style of poetical composition prevailed. Then it was that wandering minstrels strolled through the country reciting their lays which, if not well finished, generally spoke from the heart. Among the best known in Austria are Michel Beheim, from Nürnberg, who lived at the court of Frederick IV., and Hans Sachs, also from Nürnberg, who sang in Vienna. Dramatic poetry also began at this time to be cultivated, chiefly in the form of Easter and Christmas plays. But the cultivation of poetry by the minstrel class did not degenerate the taste for composition, and even royalty and nobility indulged in such work. The Emperor Maximilian I. himself was the author of a piece called "Theuerdank," which was read all over Germany.
The period of the Middle Ages was brought to a close by the Reformation. The great religious controversy which followed diverted men's energies and there was little literature of note produced. What did see the light was of a more or less religious and controversial nature, and it is not till the middle of the eighteenth century that we again meet with anything like a real national literature. Then, however, a new epoch of Austrian-German literature was entered upon. Science had in Maria Theresia's time already attained great results, and literature did not tarry far behind. So when Joseph II. ascended the throne quite a high point had been reached and literary circles included such names as Alxinger, Michael Denis (a Jesuit born at Schärding in Upper Austria), Carl Mastalier (born at Vienna), von Kalchberg (born in Upper Styria), Ratschky, Retzer, Blumauer and Haschka. At the end of last century, too, we have the great name of Franz Graffer who depicted Austrian life as he observed it. Meanwhile the works of the great Northern and Central German writers, such as Busching, Wieland, Klopstock, Mendelssohn, Buffon, &c., were also reproduced in Vienna and widely read.
For a considerable part of this period Austrian poetical composition was concentrated in a little book, called the "Wienerischer Musen Almanach," which first appeared in the year 1777 and was published annually, containing for the time being nearly all the attempts at poetry made at Vienna. Josef Franz Ratschky (1757-1810) himself wrote for this almanack and indeed called it to light. His writings consisted of lyric poetry, epic verse, monographs and translations. Other early writers in the almanack were Schlosser and Gottlieb or Amadeus Leon, the latter of whom was only twenty years of age when his first poems were published. The names of Lödl and C. Mayr also appear in the almanacks of the early period. In subsequent years occur the names of Alxinger, Michael Denis, Leopold Friedrich Günther-Geekingk, Haschka, Prandsteller, Retzer, and Karoline von Greiner. In 1782 we actually find included an English poem by James Kemper called "The Fate of Chloe" in six verses, of which the first runs thus:—
“Unhappy Damon long had tried, To soften Chloe's stubborn mind.
In vain he begged, in vain he sighed, In nuptial ties their hearts to bind.
The cruel maid triumphing in his pains Was pleased to lead her slave in iron chains.”
But Kemper's name does not appear again. A more important name in the next years was that of Josef von Sonnenfels, who was already fifty years of age when he began to contribute to the Almanack of the Muses. This writer published many epigrams, including among others imitations of Prior, Butler, &c The following two examples of his style will suffice.
After Prior.
(Draw your wit as seldom as your sword, And never on the weak, for you'll appear. There as no hero, nor a genius here.)
“Zieh deinen Witz so selten als dein Schwert; Und auf den Schwachern nie;
Denn jenes macht dich nicht als Held bewährt, Und diesz nicht als Genie."
And
From the “Hudibras.”
(Brevity is very good When we are or are not understood.)
“Kürze schlägt stets trefflich an, Damit man euch versteh'n—auch nicht verstehen kann
Sir Butler's grosze, weise Lehre, Autoren, o vergeszt sie nie!
Sein Hudibras lebt noch, und eure Schwere In Folio were kennet die?"
Later on we find new names, such as those of Mastailer, Gabrielle von Baumberg, von Josch, Scheiger, Anton Grolzhammer, and Sophie von La Roche.
Another famous work in the early part of the modern period was the "Taschenbuch fur Deutschland’s Söhne und Töchter," which appeared in 1797 at Vienna, and even more important was the "Neue Wiener Musen Almanach," which was first published in 1798. In this last work the authors of the poems are not mentioned by name, but among them were Gaheis, Jünger, von Kalchberg, Christopher Kuffner, Johann Philip Neumann, Schilling, Schwaldopler, and Wideman. In 1802 appeared another "Musen Almanach," but it was not of much importance.
Passing away from these so-called Zeitschriften, however, we find the theatre in Austria in a very degenerate state at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Later on, Schiller's works were introduced into Austria soon after their original publication, and there even in the provincial towns. Goethe and Shakespeare, too, have at all times been favourites, and Macbeth used to be performed at Graz, while "Werther" was danced as a ballet at Linz. Especially influential in furthering the drama were Iffland and Kotzebue, the former of whom played at Graz and the latter of whom managed the Court Theatre at Vienna. Other famous names of the time are Hermann von Ayrenhoff and Heinrich Collin. There was also a writer of dramas in Laibach named Anton Linhard. Collin is also well known for his anti-French and Landwehr songs (Landwehr Lieder).
When Napoleon I. occupied Prussia, many writers migrated from the north to Vienna; and thus in 1808 were in residence there the two brothers Schlegel; followed soon afterwards by young Theodore Körner, who worked at the Court Theatre; Zacharias Werner, who took refuge in a Viennese monastery; and Heinrich v. Kleist, a great hater of the French, who also found a place of refuge in the Austrian capital. Wilhelm von Humboldt also tarried there for a time as Prussian Ambassador. The result of this influx was the infusing of fresh spirit into Austria, and the change was marked by the appearance of Grillparzer in 1817 with his "Ahn frau." The classical romantic school now prevailed, the best known names being Grillparzer (lyric poet), Halm, Feuchtersleben, and Lenau.
More purely romantic is Anastasius Grün, the author of " Spaziergänge eines Wiener Poeten" and "Schutt" Also worthy of mention are Maurus Lindemayr (born in 1723, at Neukirchen, in Upper Austria), who wrote a peculiar dialect, and in the same connection Franz Stelzhammer, Karl Kaltenbrunner, Ferdinand Raimund, Friedrich Kaiser, and more recently Anzengruber and Peter Rosegger. Rosegger is specially pre-eminent in his descriptions of life and scenery among the Styrian Alps.
Good prose writers have always existed in Austria, but space will not admit of a detailed statement of them or their works. At the same time, in what follows, reference will be found to some of them.
Whitman, Sydney, and J. R. McIlraith. Austria. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1899.
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