693 



WEISS, CHRISTIAN SAMUEL. 



WEISSB, CHRISTIAN FELIX. 



534 



of Baden and other parts of its territory. At Carlsruhe alone ho 

 erected many buildings, among others the Roman Catholic church, 

 the Lutheran church, theatre, Ettlinger gate, Standeshaus, museum, 

 mint, Hochberg palace ; and at Baden the ' Couversations-haus ' or 

 assembly-rooms, baths, and ' Antiquitiiten-halle,' or museum, &c., be- 

 sides the Leopold summer palace, and various private houses and 

 smaller buildings. Of churches, mansions, villas, &c. erected or 

 designed by him in other places within the territory of Baden, the 

 number is very considerable ; and there are several by him in other 

 parts of Germany Leipzig, Strasbourg, Gb'ttingen, and Diisseidorf. 

 Being so numerous, his works display various degrees of merit 

 according to the respective opportunities afforded him ; but taken 

 collectively they manifest a great improvement in stylo, with individu- 

 ality of character, and fresh and clever combinations, instead of the 

 mere routine of design. He applied himself to his art with higher 

 views of it than were then entertained among his countrymen, and 

 diffused a similar feeling for it through the next generation of the 

 profession, having reared up to it a great number of those who now 

 rank high among the living architects of Germany. Nor was his 

 instruction confined to them exclusively, for he published a variety of 

 treatises on different branches of architectural study, namely, two on 

 the orders of architecture, ' Zeichnungslehre,' 1810; ' Optik,' 1811; 

 ' Perspectivlehre,' 1817-24; ' Ueber Form und Schbnheit,' 1819; 

 ' Ueber Architektonische Verzierungen,' 1820, &c., besides a work on 

 theatres, aud a variety of papers on architectural and artistical topics 

 in the ' Morgenblatt ' and other literary journals. Though varied, 

 his application to his professional pursuits and studies continued 

 uninterrupted almost to the very last; for although his health had 

 begun to be impaired some time before, he was taken off somewhat 

 suddenly, March 1st, 1826, after enjoying the society of some friends 

 on the preceding evening. 



(Friedrich Weinbrenner, von Aloys Schreiber.) 



* WEISS, CHRISTIAN SAMUEL, was born at Leipzig, on February 

 26, 1780. After receiving a careful education in the classical schools 

 and the University of Leipzig, he proceeded to the School of Mines at 

 Freiberg, where he became one of Werner's most distinguished scholars. 

 He then travelled, visiting the volcanic districts of the south of France, 

 and in Paris attended the lectures of Haiiy. On his return, he passed 

 his examination, and in 1808 was made professor of physics in the 

 University of Leipzig. In 1811 he removed to that of Berlin as pro- 

 fessor of mineralogy, and he is also director of the mineral collec- 

 tion in that city, and a member of the Academy of Sciences. In 

 1813 he published an essay, ' Uber die uatiirlichen Abtheilungeu der 

 Krystallisatious systeme ' (on the Natural Divisions of the system of 

 Crystallisation), a system which met with general approbation, and 

 contributed much to the present stato of the science. In this, though 

 he takes the form as the basis of his classification, he by no means 

 rejects the results of chemical investigation. His mineral system is 

 also a natural one, attending chiefly to the determination of species. 

 Besides educating a number of excellent mineralogists, he wrote several 

 essays in the publication of the Natural Philosophy Society at Berlin, 

 but, we believe, has written no other work than the one mentioned. 



WEISSE, CHRISTIAN FELIX, was born on the 8th of February 

 (28th of January, Old Style), 1726, at Annaberg, in the present king- 

 dom of Saxony. His father, Christian Heinrich Weisse, head master 

 of the public grammar-school at Annaberg, and from 1727 director of 

 the gymnasium at Altenburg, was a distinguished scholar, whose 

 works, ' De Stylo Romano,' and ' Latium in Compendio,' were much 

 esteemed in their time. Young Weisse lost his father at an early age. 

 After having finished his preparatory studies in the gymnasium at 

 Altenburg, he went to the university of Leipzig in 1745, where he 

 studied the classical languages and antiquities under Ernesti. At 

 Leipzig he became acquainted with Lessing, who directed his attention 

 to the modern languages, especially to English, and encouraged him to 

 cultivate his poetical talents. Weisse however did not respond to the 

 expectations of Lessing. His favourite passion was the drama, which 

 in Germany at that time was little better than a stiff imitation of the 

 French school, and the French taste was so prevalent that Weisse was 

 unable to contend against its influence, as we see from the many 

 tedious tragedies which he wrote during the period from 1751, in 

 which year he published his first dramatical essay, ' Die Matrone von 

 Ephesus,' till 1767. In this year he published ' Die Befreiung von 

 Theben ' (The Delivery of Thebes) , which was his first drama written 

 in blank verse. He had previously used the Alexandrines, in which 

 the German dramas were generally written, and when he abandoned 

 this verse at the suggestion of Lessing, and adopted the blank verse of 

 the English drama, or even prose, he fell into great extravagances, 

 and showed that he was anything but a tragic writer. Of this his 

 'Romeo und Julie,' in which he fancied he could improve on Shak- 

 Bpere by strictly following the novel of Bandello, is a sufficient sample. 

 In his ' Richard III.' he showed that he was thoroughly unable to 

 conceive any great passion : for every passion he had one mould, such 

 as the character of Nero, of Alexander, of Medea. ' Richard III.' 

 however has two great merits : it was the last tragedy in the French 

 taste which appeared on the German stage, and it occasioned Lessing 

 to write his excellent observations on Aristotle's theory of the drama 

 and on Shaksperc. 



The severe criticism of Leasing and the consciousness of his own 



weakness led Weisse to abandon tragedy, and to write comedies, 

 vaudevilles, and operas, in which he had much more success. Hia 

 best comedy, according to Leasing, ia 'Amalia/ in five acts. Hia 

 vaudevilles and operas were set to music by Wolff, Killer, and other 

 eminent composers, and his little arias became national songs. He 

 supplied many of the theatres, aud the splendour of the court of the 

 kings of Poland and electors of Saxony at Dresden gave him opportu- 

 nities for the exercise of his talents. Tho remuuerations for his pro- 

 ductions, and the high appointments which he received, as chief 

 receiver of the taxes at Leipzig, an office which he held till his death, 

 put him not only above want, but procured for him all the means of 

 leading a comfortable life. In 1760 he became editor of the ' Bib- 

 liothek der Schonen Wissenschaften und freien Kiinste,' a periodical 

 which was then much esteemed in Germany. 



The appearance of Wieland, Gbthe, Schiller, and BO many other 

 eminent men during the latter part of the 18th century, induced 

 Weisse, who was unable to become their rival, to change his subject. 

 He now wrote for children. Weisse and Basedow became the founders 

 of a new system of education in Germany ; and while Basedow's views 

 principally concerned the intellectual education in schools, Weisse 

 directed his literary activity towards domestic education. His ' A, B, 

 C, und Lesebuch fiir Jileine Kinder,' Leipzig, 8vo, 1772, ran through 

 six editions, and was the best spelling-book hitherto published in 

 Germany. He also published 'Klein e Lieder fur Kinder,' and trans- 

 lated several little English work,s for children, as well as various 

 articles of the ' Spectator ' on the same subject. He also published 

 ' Wochenblatt fiir Kinder,' which, in 1775, he changed into a quarterly 

 journal called ' Der Kinder-Freund ' (The Children's Friend). This 

 celebrated work treats on the domestic education of children in a 

 history of a family, from their birth to the time when they leave the 

 paternal roof, the daughters to be married and the sons to follow some 

 occupation. The life of this family, the earlier amusements of the 

 children, their education, the various branches of their instruction, and 

 their amusements, are described : a great number of tales are intro- 

 duced, which they are supposed to tell to one another; and several 

 little comedies, which the members of the family perform for the 

 entertainment of their friends. From 1775 to 1782 the 'Kinder- 

 Freund' went through five editions, among which two are intweuty- 

 four volumes, aud three in twelve. The 'Kinder-Freund' was con- 

 tinued in the ' Briefwechsel der Familie des Kinderfreuudes,' Leipzig, 

 12 vols. 8vo, 1783-93, which gives the history of the family during the 

 first years after the children had left their home. Berquiu's cele- 

 brated ' L'Ami des Enfans ' is an imitation of the ' Kinder-Freund,' 

 and in many parts a translation. There is scarcely a European lan- 

 guage into which some of Weisse's works for children have not beeu 

 translated either entirely or in extracts or abridgments. Weisse'3 

 literary activity was immense, aud lasted till his death, although by a 

 fall from a ladder in his library, in 1792, he almost lost the use of his 

 hand, and was obliged to dictate. He published many translations 

 from the English, especially works for the use of children aud young 

 persons of both sexes, such as the works or part of the works of 

 Richardson, Law, Moore (the Fables), James Fordyce, Brooke, Sterne, 

 Franklin, some of the poems of Ossian, several odes of Dryden, Pope, 

 Congreve, and many other works. The reputation of Weisse from the 

 time that he began to write for .children was very great. However in 

 all his works on education there are indications that the author's , 

 system was rather artificial, and more adapted to the drilling of 

 children than the formation of character. Of late he has ofteu been 

 severely criticised, but his contemporaries held him in high esteem. 



Weisse died on the 16th of December 1804. His principal works are : 

 ' Beitrage zum Deutschen Theater,' 5 vols. 8vo ; 2, ' Trauerspiele,' 

 Leipzig, 5 vols. 8vo, 1776-80. Several of his tragedies were published 

 separately; 3, ' Lustspiele,' 3 vols., 2nd edit., 1783; 4,'Komische 

 Opera,' 3 vols., 1777. These operettes and vaudevilles, with the music 

 of Hiller, are published separately, as the ' Dorf barbier,' Leipzig, fol. 

 1771 ; 5, 'Kleine Lyrische Gedichte,' Leipzig, sm. 8vo, 1772 : the songs 

 for children are contained in the third volume ; 6, ' Lieder fiir Kinder, 

 mit Melodien in Musik gesetzb von J. A. Hiller;' 7, 'Schauspiele fiir 

 Kinder,' Leipzig, 3 vols. 8vo, 1792, is a collection of the dramas for 

 children contained in the ' Kinder-Freund ;' 8, ' Lieder und Fabeln 

 fiir Kinder und junge Lcute,' edited by Frisch, Leipzig, 1807 ; 9, ' Bib- 

 liothek der Schonen Wissenschaften und freien Kiinste,' Leipzig, 12 

 vols. 8vo, each containing 2 parts, 1760-65. This work is important 

 for the literary history and the biography of the scholars and writers 

 of Germany who lived in the 18th century. A catalogue of the bio- 

 gaphies and articles contained therein was published at Leipzig in 1767. 

 Weisse, as already observed, was the editor of this work from 1760 : 

 his editorship began with the fifth volume. The number of his own 

 contributions is very great ; his criticism of Wielaud's translation of 

 Shakspere is remarkable. The work was continued uuder the title, 

 ' Neue Bibliothek der Schonen Wissenschaften und freien Kiinste,' 72 

 vols., Leipzig, 1765-1806 ; the latter part of which was edited by 

 Weisse aud Dyk, who, after the death of Wei.se, was the sole editor. 

 The ' Bibliothek der redenden uiid bildenden Kiinste ' is a continua- 

 tion of the ' Neue Bibliothek,' &c. 



A complete catalogue of Weisse's works and other literary produc- 

 tions is given by Jb'rdens. In 1826 a school for poor children was 

 founded by subscription at Annaberg, the birthplace of Weisse, which 



