The Lottery Commission in 1843 provided the administrative setting for Eduard von Bauernfeld, an Austrian official who later transitioned into a career as a playwright. His life in Vienna spanned the nineteenth century, during which he gained recognition for his comedies, farces, and social portrayals of the capital's evolving domestic conditions.
Legal and Political Career
Educated in jurisprudence at the University of Vienna, Bauernfeld initially pursued a path in government service. He occupied various minor roles before securing a position on the Lottery Commission. His engagement with political critique emerged in 1842 through the publication of the pamphlet Pie Desideria eines österreichischen Schriftstellers. Following a visit to England in 1845, his political perspective sharpened. He officially resigned from government duties in 1848 to commit his focus exclusively to his literary pursuits.
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Bauernfeld authored comedies noted for clever plotting and elegant diction. His early works, including Leichtsinn aus Liebe, Des Liebes-Protokoll, Die ewige Liebe, and Burgerlich und Romantisch, achieved wide popularity. He later pivoted toward drawing-room pieces known as Salonstücke. These works, such as Aus der Gesellschaft, Moderne Jugend, and Der Landfrieden, documented the social environment of his time. His collected writings were published in twelve volumes between 1871 and 1873, followed by a posthumous dramatic collection edited by F. von Saar in 1893.
Artistic Circles and Personal Connections
He maintained a significant association with the composer Franz Schubert starting around 1825. Bauernfeld provided the translation of Shakespeare used in Schubert's song An Sylvia and wrote the libretto for the unfinished opera Der Graf von Gleichen. Alongside the painter Moritz von Schwind, whom he knew since his time at the Gymnasium in Vienna, Bauernfeld contributed memoirs concerning the composer to Deutsch's collection. He also held a secret attachment to Clotilde Dornau and employed the pseudonyms Rusticocampus and Feld during his career.
Fast facts
- Born: 1802, Vienna
- Died: 1890, Vienna
- Education: University of Vienna
- Awards: Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art (1881)
- Occupations: writer, poet, playwright, poet lawyer, librettist
- Language: German
- Burial: Vienna Central Cemetery
- Pseudonyms: Rusticocampus, Feld
Questions readers ask
What was the nature of his political critique?
He criticized the government in his 1842 pamphlet titled Pie Desideria eines österreichischen Schriftstellers.
Did he receive any honors for his work?
Yes, he was ennobled for his contributions and received the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art in 1881, as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Vienna.
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