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August KotzebueGerman playwright and novelist
Date of Birth: 03.05.1761
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- August von Kotzebue: German Dramatist and Novelist
- Arrest and Exile in Siberia
- Imperial Favor and Political Mission
- Assassination and Aftermath
- Literary Legacy and Influence
- Personal Connections and Legacy
August von Kotzebue: German Dramatist and Novelist
Early Life and CareerAugust von Kotzebue was a German dramatist, novelist, and journalist. Born in Weimar in 1761, he worked as a newspaper agent for the Russian service in the Baltic provinces. In Berlin, he published several newspapers promoting pro-Russian propaganda. Later, in Germany, he became the director of the court theater in Vienna.
Arrest and Exile in Siberia
In 1800, Kotzebue was arrested on suspicion of being a "Jacobin" and exiled to Siberia. However, upon reading Kotzebue's play "Old Court Coachman of Peter III," Emperor Paul I pardoned him and granted him an estate in Estonia.
Imperial Favor and Political Mission
Kotzebue was appointed court advisor and head of the German theater in St. Petersburg. From 1802, he served as a political agent for the Russian government in Germany, where he became a vocal opponent of romanticism and the political ideals of Young Germany.
Assassination and Aftermath
On February 23, 1819, Kotzebue was assassinated by Karl Ludwig Sand, a student. The organization of German students known as the Burschenschaft was indirectly involved in the plot. The assassination led to the prohibition of Burschenschaft and the denial of constitutional reform in Prussia and other German states.
Literary Legacy and Influence
Kotzebue's over twenty plays and the novella "Dangerous Pledge" were translated into Russian by Nikolai Krasnopolsky in the early 19th century. The term "Kotzebueism" was coined to describe the low-quality plays that flooded the Russian stage in the first quarter of the 19th century.
Personal Connections and Legacy
Kotzebue's son, Paul, later served as chief of staff to Mikhail Gorchakov, whose father, Dmitry, coined the term "Kotzebueism." Another son, Nikolai, was appointed governor of Novorossiysk. Kotzebue left behind a number of memoirs, including the highly regarded "Notes on the Murder of Paul I."
