Der Mond ist aufgegangen remains a fixture of the German cultural canon, serving as the most enduring creation of Matthias Claudius. Active during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the poet and journalist established a reputation for prose and verse characterized by simple language, balancing humor with solemn meditation on mortality.
Professional Life and Wandsbecker Bothe
Born in 1740 at Reinfeld, Matthias Claudius pursued his education at the University of Jena. His career was defined by his tenure in the town of Wandsbeck, where he gained prominence editing the newspaper Der Wandsbecker Bothe between 1771 and 1775. Through this platform, he published a vast collection of essays and poems, often writing under the pen name Asmus. His output spanned multiple roles, including journalist, translator, and independent publisher, while his membership in the Emkendorfer Kreis integrated him into the intellectual discourse of the Duchy of Holstein.
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The literary corpus of Claudius moved from burlesque and lighthearted prose toward a more profound, pietistic gravity in his later years, an evolution potentially influenced by his acquaintance with Klopstock. His collected writings were published between 1775 and 1812 under the title Asmus omnia sua secum portans, oder Sämtliche Werke des Wandsbecker Boten. Several of his poems achieved cultural longevity through musical adaptation, most notably Death and the Maiden, which Franz Schubert utilized for a celebrated song and an 1824 string quartet. His harvest hymn Wir pflügen und wir streuen achieved international recognition, remaining in use across England and Germany.
Final Years
In 1814, Claudius moved to Hamburg to reside with his son-in-law, the publisher Friedrich Christoph Perthes. He died there on 21 January 1815 and was subsequently buried at the Historischer Friedhof Wandsbek. His life and work have been the subject of various analyses, including biographies by Wilhelm Herbst and M. Schneidereit, and his legacy is commemorated in the naming of asteroid 7117 Claudius.
Fast facts
- Born: 1740, Reinfeld
- Died: 21 January 1815, Hamburg
- Pen name: Asmus
- Education: University of Jena
- Key publication: Der Wandsbecker Bothe
- Religion: Lutheranism
- Citizenship: Duchy of Holstein
- Burial site: Historischer Friedhof Wandsbek
Questions readers ask
Which of his poems is most famous today?
Abendlied, also known as Der Mond ist aufgegangen, remains his most widely recognized poem.
Did other composers set his work to music?
Yes, beyond Franz Schubert, other composers such as Max Reger and Ernst Krenek set his poetry to music.
Achievements
- Educated at University of Jena
- Worked as poet, journalist and writer
