Friedrich Roeber

Johann Friedrich Gerhard Roeber
Roeber c. 1900
Born(1819-06-19)19 June 1819
Elberfeld, Germany
Died12 October 1901(1901-10-12) (aged 82)
Düsseldorf, Germany
Occupation(s)Writer, historian
SpouseMaria Wilhelmine Elise (née Kretzmann)
ChildrenErnst Roeber, Fritz Roeber

Johann Friedrich Gerhard Roeber (19 June 1819 – 12 October 1901) was a German writer and historian who participated in literary circles in Elberfeld and Wuppertal, in Germany.

Life

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Johann Friedrich Gerhard Roeber was born on 19 June 1819 in Elberfeld, Germany[1]—the son of a woodturner, he attended the Elberfeld secondary school.[2] In 1834, he began an apprenticeship at the Bankhaus von der Heydt-Kersten & Söhne [de] (a credit bank). There he became a clerk, received power of attorney, and in 1872 became a partner. He left the company in 1879 and moved to Düsseldorf in 1894.

In the early 1840s, he participated in an Elberfeld literary circle, which included, among others, Adolf Schults, Carl de Haas [de], and Friedrich Engels.[3] He later distanced himself from Engels, in 1886.[4][5] In 1847, he married Maria Wilhelmine Elise (née Kretzmann). At this time, he became known as a playwright, novelist, and historian.

Roeber served as the Procurator for Elberfeld at some point.[citation needed]

In the early 1850s, Roeber was a member of the Wuppertal poets' circle (Wuppertaler Dichterkreis).[6] When this dissolved, a Sunday circle (Sonntagskränzchen) was formed, meeting at Roeber's house[7] and consisting of poetry recitations, music and discussions—the formation of which was described by Carl Siebel in a letter to Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter in June 1853:[8]

The founding of a poets' association [Dichtervereins] has recently been projected by Roeber, Schults, and myself—starting from the idea that all elasticity of the mind is formed purely through the exchange of ideas—we planned to meet every 4 weeks or 14 days to discuss set topics. Each person should draw their acquaintances as corresponding members, thus aiming for the greatest possible expansion gradually.

Between 1860 and 1864, he distinguished himself with publications in the literary journal Morgenblatt für gebildete Leser. A year and a half before his death, Roeber suffered a stroke. In a moment of mental confusion, he burned numerous letters from Schults and de Haas to him.[9]

He died on 12 October 1901 in Düsseldorf. Five years after his death, a monument was erected to him on Carnapsplatz in the Elberfeld Nordstadt (later destroyed in World War II). Another monument was erected in Düsseldorf by Karl Janssen.[10][11]

Bust of Roeber at the Nordfriedhof (Düsseldorf) [de], by Karl Janssen

The painters Ernst Roeber [de] and Fritz Roeber were his sons.

Selected works

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  • — (1856). Tristan und Isolde. Eine Tragödie in Arabesken [Tristan and Isolde. A tragedy in arabesques] (in German). Julius Baedeker. OCLC 504476178.
  • — (1863). "Aus dem Wupperthale" [From Wuppertal]. Morgenblatt für gebildete Stände (in German) (16). Stuttgart: Johann Friedrich Cotta: 381–383.
  • — (1867). König Manfred. Oper in fünf Akten. Musik von Carl Reinecke [King Manfred. Opera in five acts. Music by Carl Reinecke] (in German). Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel.
  • — (1884). Sophonisbe. Tragödie [Sophonisbe. Tragedy] (in German). Iserlohn: Julius Baedeker.
  • — (1885). Marionetten. Ein Roman [Marionettes. A novel] (in German) (2nd ed.). Iserlohn / Grumbach, Leipzig: Julius Baedeker.
  • — (1886). Litteratur und Kunst im Wupperthale bis zur Mitte des gegenwärtigen Jahrhunderts [Literature and art in Wuppertal up to the middle of the present century] (in German). Iserlohn: Julius Baedeker. OCLC 681545248.
  • — (1891). Börsenringe. Schauspiel (in German). Leipzig: Julius Baedeker.
  • — (1892). Malermodelle. Lustspiel in einem Akt [Painter's models. Comedy in one act] (in German). Leipzig: Julius Baedeker.
  • — (1897). Lyrische und epische Gedichte, Fest- und Märchenspiele [Lyrical and epic poems, festival and fairy tale plays] (in German) (3rd (presumably) ed.). Leipzig: Julius Baedeker.

References

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  1. ^ Roeber & Keller 1871, p. 5.
  2. ^ Knieriem 1994, p. xvi: "Roeber besuchte die Elberfelder Realschule, die zwar mit einem sogenannten Abitur abschloß, das aber keineswegs zu einem Universitätsstudium berechtigte." ["Roeber attended the secondary school in Elberfeld, which, although he graduated with a so-called Abitur, did not entitle him to study at university."]
  3. ^ Engels 1974, p. xi: "Anfang März 1841 nahm das Kränzchen nach einigen Rückschlä- gen festere Gestalt an, und de Haas konnte sogar eine Einteilung der Mitglieder nach Literaturgattungen vornehmen. Dem Zirkel insgesamt gehörten außer de Haas, Schults, Roeber, Keller und Engels noch an: Friedrich Plümacher, Gustav Feldmann, Rudolf Nielo, Julius Bloem, Richard Seel, ferner Brune, Trespe, Bredow und Gantzer." ["At the beginning of March 1841, after a few setbacks, the circle took on a firmer shape and de Haas was even able to categorise the members according to literary genre. In addition to de Haas, Schults, Roeber, Keller and Engels, the circle as a whole also included Friedrich Plümacher, Gustav Feldmann, Rudolf Nielo, Julius Bloem, Richard Seel, as well as Brune, Trespe, Bredow and Gantzer."]
  4. ^ Engels 1974, p. x: "Distanzierte sich 1886 deutlich von Engels, ohne ihre ge- meinsame Zusammenarbeit im »Kränzchen« zu erwähnen." ["He distanced himself significantly from Engels in 1886, without mentioning their joint collaboration in the 'Kränzchen'."]
  5. ^ Roeber 1886, pp. 74, 146.
  6. ^ Hermand 1998, p. 124.
  7. ^ Hermand 1998, p. 125.
  8. ^ Brandt-Schwarze 1998, p. 390.
  9. ^ Knieriem 1994, p. x.
  10. ^ Kirschbaum, Jan Niko (29 April 2012). "Friedrich-Roeber-Denkmal" [Friedrich Roeber monument]. www.denkmal-wuppertal.de (in German). Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Grabmal Friedrich Roeber - Werk des Bildhauers Karl Janssen 1855 - 1927" [Friedrich Roeber tomb - work of the sculptor Karl Janssen 1855 - 1927]. www.janssenart.de (in German). Retrieved 11 May 2024.

Bibliography

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  • Bark, Joachim (1969). Der Wuppertaler Dichterkreis; Untersuchungen zum Poeta minor im 19. Jahrhundert [The Wuppertal Poets' Circle; Studies on the poeta minor in the 19th century]. Bonn, Germany: H. Bouvier. OCLC 4240725.
  • Brandt-Schwarze, Ulrike (1998). "103. Roebersches Sonntagskränzchen [Elberfeld/Bannen]" [103. Roeber's Sunday circle [Elberfeld/Bannen]]. In Wülfing, Wulf; Bruns, Karin; Parr, Rolf (eds.). Handbuch literarisch-kultureller Vereine, Gruppen und Bünde: 1825 - 1933 [Handbook of literary and cultural associations, groups and societies 1825-1933]. Repertorien zur deutschen Literaturgeschichte (in German). Stuttgart Weimar: J.B. Metzler. pp. 389–392. doi:10.1007/978-3-476-03621-6. ISBN 978-3-476-03621-6.
  • Engels, Friedrich (1974). Knierem, Michael (ed.). Cola di Rienzi: ein unbekannter dramatischer Entwurf [Cola di Rienzi: an unknown dramatic sketch]. Schriften aus dem Karl-Marx-Haus, Trier (in German). Wuppertal: Hammer. ISBN 978-3-87294-070-4. OCLC 954247756.
  • Hermand, Jost (1998). "Die Wuppertaler Dichterbünde". Die deutschen Dichterbünde: von den Meistersingern bis zum PEN-Club [The German Poets' Associations: From the Meistersingers to the PEN-CLUB] (in German). Weimar Wien: Böhlau. pp. 124–126. ISBN 978-3-412-09897-1. OCLC 39515747.
  • Joesten, Joseph (1906). Friedrich Roeber. Zur Feier der Enthüllung seines Denkmals in Elberfeld [Friedrich Roeber. To celebrate the unveiling of his monument in Elberfeld]. Elberfeld: Martini & Grüttefien.
  • Knieriem, Michael (1994). "Wir wollen dem Wuppertale einen Namen machen..." Eine Dokumentation zur Entstehungsgeschichte des Elberfelder Literaturkränzchens 1838–1844 ['We want to make a name for the Wuppertal...' A documentation of the history of the Elberfeld literary circle 1838-1844]. Nachrichten aus dem Engels-Haus (in German). Wuppertal: Stadt Wuppertal. OCLC 34645266.
  • Roeber, Friedrich; Keller, Gottfried (1871). Friedrich Röber: mit Biographie [Friedrich Röber: with biography]. Meyer's Groschen-Bibliothek der deutschen Classiker für alle Stände (in German). Vol. 350. Hildburghausen: Herrmann Julius Meyer.
  • Roeber, Friedrich (1886). Litteratur und Kunst im Wupperthale bis zur Mitte des gegenwärtigen Jahrhunderts [Literature and art in Wuppertal up to the middle of the present century] (in German). Iserlohn: Baedeker. OCLC 681545248.
  • Wolff, Heinz (1977). "Friedrich Roeber (1819–1901)". In Metchies, Michael (ed.). Wuppertaler Biographien, Folge 13 [Wuppertal biographies, Episode 13]. Beiträge zur Geschichte und Heimatkunde des Wuppertals. Vol. 25. Wuppertal: Born. ISBN 978-3-87093-025-7.
  • "Zu Friedrich Roeber's 80. Geburtstag. 19. Juni 1899" [On the occasion of Friedrich Roeber's 80th birthday. 19 June 1899]. Generalanzeiger für Düsseldorf und Umgegend. 19 June 1899.
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