Die Lieder des Mirza Schaffy, a collection of verse first published in 1851, achieved a level of international success comparable to the works of Edward FitzGerald. This volume, written by a Prussian author who had lived in the Caucasus, would eventually undergo 160 separate editions in Germany and be translated into almost every major literary language.
Early Career and Caucasian Years
Born in 1819 in Peine, Friedrich von Bodenstedt initially trained as a merchant in Braunschweig before pursuing studies in Göttingen, Munich, and Berlin. His trajectory shifted significantly in 1841 when he moved to Moscow to work as a tutor for the family of Prince Gallitzin. By 1844, he was appointed head of a public school in Tiflis, within the Governorate of Tiflis. His time in this region allowed him to acquire proficiency in Russian, Persian, and Azerbaijani, providing the foundational material for his early ethnographic and literary work, including Die Völker des Kaukasus und ihre Freiheits-Kämpfe gegen die Russen.
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Upon returning to Germany, Bodenstedt transitioned into journalism and later accepted a professorship of Slavonic studies at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in 1854. His scholarly output was prolific, encompassing translations of Pushkin, Lermontov, and Turgenev. By 1858, he shifted his focus to Early English literature, producing critical work on Shakespeare’s contemporaries. In 1862, he issued a notable translation of Shakespeare’s sonnets, followed by a complete edition of the plays between 1866 and 1872. In 1863, his contributions were recognized with the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art.
Theatre Direction and Later Travel
In 1867, Bodenstedt assumed the role of director at the court theatre in Meiningen, an appointment that saw him ennobled by the duke. His career also included a significant period of travel in the United States from 1879 to 1880, which he documented in the 1882 publication Vom Atlantischen zum Stillen Ozean. After 1873, he resided in various cities including Altona, Berlin, and finally Wiesbaden. He spent his final years publishing an autobiography and additional translations, including the works of Hafiz and Omar Khayyam, before his death in 1892. He is buried at the Nordfriedhof.
Fast facts
- Born: 1819, Peine
- Died: 1892, Wiesbaden
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Prussia
- Notable Award: Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art (1863)
- Primary Occupations: Poet, translator, university teacher
- Burial Site: Nordfriedhof
- Primary Languages Used: German, Russian, Persian, Azerbaijani
Questions readers ask
Was Die Lieder des Mirza Schaffy an original work?
While Bodenstedt claimed it was his own poetry disguised as oriental verse, historical analysis suggests it was a translation of poems by his acquaintance, the Azerbaijani poet Mirza Shafi Vazeh.
What subjects did Bodenstedt teach at the university level?
He served as a professor of Slavonic studies starting in 1854 and later transitioned to a professorship of Early English literature in 1858.
