TIECS, a brilliant and prolific German novelist and poet, was born at Berlin, 3Iay 31, 1773, and studied at the universities of Halle, Gottingen, and Erlangen. He made his first appearance as an author in the Straussfeder (Ostrich-feather) magazine, conducted by Musilus (q.v.) and J. G. Muller, for which he wrote a series of little tales, of which the best was Die beiden liferkgefirdigsten Tage aus Siegmann's Leben (The Two most Remarkable Days in Seigmann's Life). But the originality of his genius first dis played itself in his romances of Abdallale (Berl. 1795) and Lovell (3 vols., BerL 1795). These were followed by his Peter Lebreeht, eine Cleschielde ohne Abenteuerliehkeiten (Peter Lebrecht, a History without Adventures, 2 vols., Berl. 1795-96), and Peter Lebrecht's rolksindrehen (3 vols., Berl. 1797), which were equally remarkable for richness of fancy, artless simplicity, and an overflowing humor. In some of these Mlirehen, as, for example, his "Bluebeard," "Puss-in-Boots" (Der ,gestiefelte Hater), and "The Life and Death of Little Red Riding-hood " (Leben and Tod des kleinen Rothkappchen), he combated with satiric humor, perhaps, too, with somewhat of youthful arrogance, the "enlightened" notions on which the literature of the 18th c. prided itself—showing very distinctly his strong tendencies toward the deeper poetic spirit of the middle ages. The same polemic was maintained in his comedy, Die verkehrte Welt (Ile Topsy-turvy World, 1799). To this period also belong his Herzensergiessiengen eines kunstliebenden Kloster bruders (Heart-effusions of an art-loving Monk, Berl. 1799), Franz Sternbald's Wander ungen, an art-novel (2 vols., Berl 1798), and Phantasien fiber die Kunst (Francis on Art, Hamb. 1799), all of which are full of a noble enthusiasm for art, hut pervaded at the same time by a dreamy mystical religiosity, which is no longer admirable. These works brought Tieck into close relationship with A. W. von Schlegel and others, and led to the establishment of the literary sect or coterie known as the " Romantic school," whose influence on the later literature of Germany and France has been very great, and not always very good. Tieck now married the daughter of a Hamburg clergyman who had
been a friend of Lessing; and in 1799 went to Jena, where lie added Steffens to the list of his friends. Here he published his famous Romantische Dichtungen (2 vols., 1799-1800). His translation of Don Quixote (4 vols., Berl. 1799-1801, 3d ed., 1831) far surpassed all previous attempts. In 1802 he joined A. W. von Schlegel in the Musen-Almanaeh; and in 1804 published his longest romance, Kaiser Octavianus. 'Fleck's health now began to fail him, and in 1805 he visited Italy. On his return to Germany, he settled, after some changes, at Ziebingen in 1811, where lie formed a friendship with the philosopher Solger, who exercised a great influence over his mind. Henceforth we find less of the dreamy and formless mysticism of his earlier years, and more of the artistic element. The change becomes visible in his Phantasus (3 vols., Berl. 1812-15), and in his ERrici's Iva Lichtenstein Frauendienst (Tub. 1815). In 1817, along with a friend, Burgsdorf, he paid a visit to England, where he collected fresh materials for his Shakespeare. From 18141 to 1840 he resided at Dresden; but on the accession to the throne of Friedrich Wilhelm. IV. of Prussia, he was invited to Berlin, whither he proceeded, and where he resided for the rest of his life. His death occurred April 28, 1853. Other important works of Tieck's, besides those already mentioned, are his Novellenkranz (Berl. 1831-35; complete in 12 vols., Berl. 1853); in which there is hardly a trace of the credulous romanticism of his earlier years, but abundance of lively and subtle talk on the literature and life of the present; Dramaturg ische Blettter (2 vols., Bresl. 1826), republished in his Kritisehe Sehriften (4 vols., Leip. 1848-52); Shakespeare's Vorschule (2 vols., Leip. 1823-29); and his splendid continuation of Schlegel's translation of our great poet. Tieck revised a col lected but incomplete edition of his works in 20 vols. (Berl. 1828-12).—See Kopke's Life of Tieck (2 vols.).