Hardenberg

HARDENBERG, Friedrich Leopold, FREIHERR vox, better known as uNovAusk) (Latin, new land, from the name of a family estate), German author and hymnologist: b. Oberwiederstedt, Prussian Saxony, 2 May 1772; d. Weissenfels, 25 March 1801. With the Schlegels and Tieck, he was one of the founders of the German Romantic School, of which his hymns and fragmentary novels are character istic products. Idealistic, and based on dis tinctive views of philosophy, mathematics, art and the sciences they contain a singular mix ture of imagination, sensibility, religion and mysticism, tinged by gentle and amiable enthusi asm. But due to his early death from con sumption, they do not form a compact philos phy of life. The best of his hymns are beautiful, breathing a feeling of isolation and melancholy as to the ultimate attainment of actual good in the world, which was caused, doubtless, by the death of his betrothed, Sophie von Kiihn in 1797, and by his state of health which pre vented the consummation of a second engage ment in marriage. This is perhaps best exem plified in Lehrlinge zu Sais> in which immortalizing as the Werner, his instructor in geology at Freiburg, he theorizes the secret of life as fulfilled longing of a loving heart? The best of his prose writings which Carlyle recommended for °perusal and reperusalp is the unfinished novel 'Heinrich von Ofterdingen' in which the quest of the flower? the symbol of Romanticism, is a poetical allegory marked by excellent narra tive, interspersed with beautiful verse. Har

denberg's parents were Moravians, which probably accounted for his mystic religious tendencies. At Jena, Leipzig, Wittenberg and Tennstadt he was thoroughly grounded in mathematics, natural science, philosophy and law, and became distinguished for his poetical talents. Becoming auditor of the government salt-works in Weissenfels of which his father was director, he later studied geology at the mining academy of Freiberg, Saxony. He was appointed u.Amtshauptman0 magistrate in Thuringia in 1800, but death the following year ended a career full of high promise. His works, collected by the Schlegels, were issued in two volumes, and several times re-edited, appeared with a third volume in 1846. Recent editions are Meisner, C., and Wille, B., (1898) ; Heilbron, E., (3 vols., 1901) ; Minor, J., (3 vols., Jena 1907) ; Boelsche (4 vols., Leipzig 1908) ; Schmidt, J., von Ofterdingen' (published sepa rately 1876) ; Raich, J. M., Corre spondence' (1880). Consult Carlyle, T., (Novalis' (in 'Critical and Miscellaneous Essays,' Edinburgh ed., New York 1903) ; Mae terlinck, M., (Novalis) (in (On Emerson and Other Essays,' New York 1912) ; Haym, R., 'Friedrich von Hardenberg' (2d ed., Gotha 1883) ; Busse, C., 'Novalis' Lyrik) (1898) ; Bing, J., 'Friedrich von (Berlin 1901) ; Heilbron, E., 'Novalis der Romantiker) (Berlin 1901) ; Huch, R., 'Die Romantik> (4th ed., Leipzig 1911).