ZSCHOKKR. Johann Heinrich Daniel, Swiss author: b. Magdeburg, Germany, 22 March 1771; d Blitmenhalde. near Aarau, 27 June 1848. He left his native place in 1788, and for come time uanderrd about the country as play-writer to a strolling company of actors hut afterward studied at the lini versity of Frankfort-on-the-(1der In 1792 he began life there as a private teacher, and produced several pieces for the stage. He sub sequently stole(' down in the canton of the Grisons and became director of an academy at Reichenau, where he wrote a history of the Grisons (1798). He then became head of the department of public instruction at Aarau, and was soon afterward sent by the Helvetic exec utive directory to Unterwalden as government commissioner, for the purpose of restoring tran quillity. He acquitted himself so satisfactorily that his powers as commissioner were extended to the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Zug. In 1800 he was appointed commissioner for the organization of the Italian territories of Switz erland. In 1804 he became a member of the board of mines and forests, and in the same year began the issue of his highly popular Schmtiserbote (Swiss MesstagerY. Through the greater part of his life Zschokke appeared as one of the most distinguished and energetic public men in Switzerland but he found time to cultivate his favorite pursuits, and it is chiefly by his numerous writings, histori cal and fictitious, that he is known to the world at large. Among his work, may be mentioned
'Ueberlieferungen zur Gesehichte unserer Zeit' 0811-27) (Contributions to the History of Our Time) • (I)es Schweizerlandes Geschichte far das 1822) (History of Switierland for the Swiss People), one of the best of his works, and 'Bilder aus der Schweiz' (1824-26) (Pictures from Switzerland). As a writer of tales he possesses a European repu tation, and among them we may refer more especially to 'The Creole,' 'Alamontade,' 'Jonathan Frock,' 'Clementine,' 'Oswald or the Goldmakcrs' Village' and 'Master Jordan.' The work, however, which has had the most extended circulation is his 'Stunden der Andacht' (Hours of Devotion) (1809-16; 27 editions in his lifetime), which, though rational istic, has yet, from the pious feeling pervading it, found admirers among all classes of readers. Editions of his works were published (40 vols., 1824-28; 35 vols., 1851-54), and an edition of his 'Novellen' (12 vols., 1904). Consult the studies by Munch (1831) • Keller, 'Reitrige zur Poliusche, Thitigkeit kschokkes' (1887), and Wernly (1844).