German Literature, c. 1600-1740 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The 17th century saw the writing of many new hymns in the Protestant churches, usually with excellent music. Which of these was a hymn writer?

Answer: They all wrote hymns

In the English-speaking lands Paul Gerhardt (1607-74) is best known for 'O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden' (English: 'O, sacred head surrounded [or sore wounded]'), which J. S. Bach skilfully wove into his "St. Matthew's Passion". Martin Rinkart (1586-1649) is well known for 'Nun danket alle Gott' (English: 'Now thank we all our God'), while Joachim Neander (1650-80) is best known for 'Lobe den Herrn, den m�chtigen K�nig der Ehren' (English: 'Praise ye the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation'). Incidentally, Neander lived for a while near D�sseldorf, and a nearby valley that he liked to visit was named after him and later gave its name to Neanderthal man.

2. In the seventeenth century the German-speaking lands and many neighbouring areas were afflicted by the Thirty Years' War. What are the dates of this war, which figures prominently in much German literature of the 17th century?

Answer: 1618-48

The Thirty Years' War is often regarded as a series of conflicts. In most of the areas directly affected it was a disaster. Bands of ill disciplined mercenaries caused much damage and spread disease across Central Europe. Nominally, the war started as a conflict between Roman Catholics and Protestants, but it is generally accepted that it was primarily an attempt by the Habsburgs to re-establish control over the Holy Roman Empire. The attempt failed. The devastation caused by the war accelerated the economic decline of Central Europe by comparison with Western Europe.

This war figures in works by authors writing in genres as different as the lyric and the (early) novel.

In the longer run it is probably true to say that few other wars before the 20th century have exercised such a fascination for both popular and literary imagination in Germany.

3. In the seventeenth century a number of "Sprachgesellschaften" (that is, "Language Societies") were founded in Germany. What was their purpose?

Answer: All of these

One of the best known was the "Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft", also known as the "Palmenorden". Very few lasted long after the death of their founders. However, the "Pegnische Blumenorden" in Nuremberg, founded in 1644 by Harsd�rffer, is still flourishing in the 21st century. The importance attached to the various aims differed from one society to another.

4. In an age which saw growing monarchic absolutism, the execution of Charles I was widely viewed in Continental Europe with utter horror as an act of sacrilege. Andreas Gryphius wrote a drama about Charles I. What were the first words of the title?

Answer: Ermordete Majest�t ("Murdered Majesty")

The full (short) title was "Ermordete Majest�t oder Carolus Stuardus". Despite the horror mentioned in the question there was also some muted sympathy with the Parliamentary side in some of the free cities of the Empire. Andreas Gryphius (1616-64) is widely regarded as the leading German writer of the 17th century. His greatest strengths were tragedy and lyrical poetry.

(Incidentally, England already had a reputation second to none for killing its kings: William II, Edward II, Richard II, Henry VI, Edward V and Richard III had all been killed. However, this was the first case where an English king had been killed by rebellious commoners).

5. A German poet of the first half of the 17th century settled in England in 1620 and from 1625 was Secretary for Foreign Tongues ('Latin Secretary'). In 1649 he was succeeded in this post by John Milton. Who was it?

Answer: Georg Weckherlin

Weckherlin (1584-1653) married an Englishwoman in 1616, and from 1620-25 was in the service of the exiled court of the Count (Elector) Palatine in London. Simon Dach (1605-59) was one of the least pretentious and least 'baroque' poets of the period. Martin Opitz (1597-1639) is well known for his "Buch von der deutschen Poeterey" - a work on poetics which was published in 1624 and which was influential for the rest of the century. Daniel Morhof (1631-91) is best known for a book on poetics that includes a history of the German language and poetry, entitled "Unterricht von der teutschen Sprache und Poesie".

The historical section is remarkably wide-ranging and scholarly and one of the first of its kind - and contains the first known mention of Shakespeare in any book published in Continental Europe (other than catalogues).

6. In the 17th century the German novel came into its own. The one that has stood the test of time best is "Simplicissimus", which first appeared in five books early in 1669 followed by a sixth book (or continuation) later that year. Literary historians have had difficulty in deciding what type of novel it is. Which of the following is it NOT?

Answer: Fantasy fiction

The novel is in picaresque as it is racy and written from the point of view of an 'underdog'; it also describes the hero's personal development and, as far as is known, contains much from the author's own experiences in the Thirty Years' War.

The author, Johann Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen (1622-76) was kidnapped at the age of 13 by Hessian soldiers and made to fight in the war. Later, he was taken prisoner by Croatian troops and forced to change sides. He was fortunate in managing to get appointed secretary of his regiment and at the end of the war his colonel employed him in a private capacity.

7. Which university in the German-speaking lands was the first to allow the use of German (alongside Latin) as a language of instruction?

Answer: Halle (founded in 1694)

At Halle, German was admitted from the outset. The lateness of the admission of German as an academic language may have had something to do with the fact that it was not very well standardized, even in 1694. From a practical point of view allowing the use of German as an academic language was easier at a newly founded university than at an old, well established university.

8. In the first half of the 18th century the first major, multi-volume general encyclopedia was published in Germany. Which of these was it?

Answer: Zedler

"Zedlers Universal-Lexicon" (named after the publisher) appeared in 1732-50 in Leipzig and Halle. It ran to 64 volumes and was followed in 1751-54 by a four-volume supplement. It was an impressive achievement. The first edition of "Brockhaus" appeared in 1796-1808 and that of "Meyer" in 1870s. "Jedermanns Lexikon", which appeared in 1929-33, was an attempt to produce an encyclopedia that was much more widely affordable.

9. The 1720s and 1730s are dominated in German literature by the name of Johann Gottsched (1700-66). He had virtually no lasting impact beyond being the target of several attacks in the second half of the 18th century.

Answer: True

Gottsched was preoccupied with poetics and tried to impose classical norms (as re-inpreted in French literature) on German literature.

10. In the period up to c. 1760 poets were sometimes formally "laureated", that is, solemnly crowned a poet with a laurel wreath, by the Holy Roman Emperor or, much more commonly, by a person or a body, such as a university acting with Imperial authority. A handful of women were "laureated" for poetry by German universities in the period up to 1740.

Answer: True

Three women were honoured in this way: (1) Christiane Marianne von Ziegler (1695-1760), laureated by Wittenberg in 1733, (2) Sidonia Hedwig Z�unemann (1714-40), laureated in 1738 by G�ttingen and (3) Anna Maragrethe Pfeffer (1679-1746), crowned by G�ttingen in 1739. Ziegler is now best known for nine poems set to music as cantatas by J. S. Bach. Sidonia Hedwig Z�unemann is known for her occasional poetry, her collected verse and prose, "Poetische Rosen in Knospen" (1738) and for her highly unconventional life-style for the times - she travelled alone, sometimes she dressed as man (and wrote about her feelings of guilt in connection with this) and she visited a mine. It is sometimes said that she was 'a Romantic poet before her time'. Anna Maragrethe Pfeffer published nothing, but the University of G�ttingen has a collection of manuscript poems by her. In the following decade a handful of further women were crowned poets by the University of G�ttingen and the University of Helmstedt.

Source: Author bloomsby

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This period of German literature is not well known, and the quiz includes some general background questions. Please treat it as a learning experience.

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