Karl August Varnhagen von Ense wrote at a period when the terms of literature itself were being argued over.
The record lists Karl August Varnhagen von Ense as German biographer, diplomat and soldier (1785-1858).
Karl August Varnhagen von Ense was born at Düsseldorf in 1785. His recorded nationality is Germany. He was educated at University of Tübingen and Pépinière.
The eighteenth century built the literary marketplace - periodicals, subscription publishing, and readers who paid.
He worked as diplomat, chronicler and historian.
The writing is recorded in German.
Books outlive their reviews, and the ones that last are seldom the ones that sold best.
That the work was written from Germany matters: language, censorship and the reach of a publishing industry decide which books travel and which stay local.
Karl August Varnhagen von Ense died in 1858, aged 73. The books remain, which is the only durable form a writing life takes.
