Hunger years in Hof
Jean Paul is considered one of the most powerful European prose writers. He occupies a special position between Classicism and Romanticism. Celebrated as a successful author during his lifetime and more widely read than Schiller and Goethe, the extremely high degree of difficulty of his writing style prevents him from reaching a broad reading public in our time. He is still a favorite author of writers and musicians because of the musicality of his flow of language and the pictoriality of his expression.
The hunger years in Hof had a formative influence on his work. Here and in Schwarzenbach a. d. Saale he wrote his most important novels ("Schulmeisterlein Wutz", "Unsichtbare Loge", "Siebenkäs", "Hesperus"). About the town, which he calls "Kuhschnappel" or "Flachsenfingen" in it, he writes: "Besehet Hof, where I suffered the most, but wrote the best."
On the website of the city archive there is an article about Jean Paul with transcripts and scans of the existing manuscripts.
The life of Johann Paul Friedrich Richter
1763 | Johann Paul Friedrich Richter (civil name Jean Pauls) is born on March 21 in Wunsiedel; father: Johann Christian Christoph Richter, mother: Sophia Rosina, daughter of the clothier Kuhn from Hof |
1765 | The family moves to Joditz, where the father takes up a pastorate. |
1776 | Move of the family to Schwarzenbach a. d. Saale |
1779 | Attendance of the Hofer Gymnasium - death of the father Beginning of the famine years |
1781 | Study of theology in Leipzig - first literary publications |
1784 | Escape from creditors from Leipzig to Hof |
1787 | Home teacher; first in Toepen, then in Schwarzenbach a. d. Saale; he supports his mother and four younger brothers |
1789 | Suicide of brother Heinrich |
1790 | Death of the "ingenious" friend Johann Bernhard Hermann; death vision on November 15 |
1793 | The "Invisible Lodge" with the "Wutz" appears, thus breakthrough to best-selling author |
1796 | Trip to Weimar at the invitation of Charlotte von Kalb. Visits Goethe, Schiller, Herder |
1797 | Death of his mother in Hof. Afterwards changing places of residence: Leipzig, Weimar, Berlin - acclaimed and celebrated successful author |
1801 | Marriage to Karoline Mayer - move to Meiningen, Coburg, Bayreuth - in order to work undisturbed by his three children and guests, Jean Paul moves to the Rollwenzelei to write |
1821 | Death of his son Max |
1825 | Increasing blindness - Jean Paul dies in the family circle on November 14 |
Jean Paul Way
In the footsteps of the writer
A special feature are the Jean Paul paths that lead from Joditz to Hof and on to Schwarzenbach an der Saale. They refer to paths that Jean Paul himself walked.
In his childhood, Jean Paul hiked once a week with a rucksack and a wish list to his grandparents from Joditz to Hof to fetch the essentials from the city. Jean Paul was a passionate hiker. He attributed his relatively stable health to daily walks in nature. Walks also jump-started his flow of ideas: "I can't remember a single thought being conceived in the parlor, but always outdoors."
After a completely unsuccessful attempt at horseback riding, accompanied by the mockery and laughter of the Schwarzenbachers, he never mounted a horse again. Even longer distances, whether to Leipzig, Weimar, or Halberstadt , he covered "galloping" on foot. In his novel "Dr. Katzenbergers Badereise" Jean Paul shows himself as the inventor of "Nordic Walking".
He recommends to the prince: "Since we mammals are quadrupeds with regard to the body, we must not only walk with our feet, but also with our hands at the same time. The upper feet or arms as assistants are to be thrown up and down with equal force, because this increases the pulse by many beats." Now the doctor demonstrated to the prince and the whole bathing company the disreputable walk with walking perpendicular arms. "Indeed," said the prince, smiling, "this must be tried, though not in great company."
