II. COOPER'S INFLUENCE ON GERMAN LITERATURE 



A molding factor in tlie development of the historical novel in 

 Germany is to be found in the works of Walter Scott. Only upon 

 their appearance was the vast storehouse of the German past in 

 all its aspects opened to fiction. Scott's novels, by their very 

 nature, readily lead to imitation. It was only necessary to apply 

 Scott's method to German history. The most successful of Scott's 

 many followers were Wilhelm Hauff (1802-27) and Willibald 

 Alexis [W. H. Haring] (1798-1871). The latter had actually 

 passed off his first ngvel 'Walladmor' (1825) successfully as the 

 work of the great Scotch novelist. Cooper's novels, on the con- 

 trary, could not in the same way be transplanted into German soil ; 

 nor did their nature admit of imitation readily unless by writers 

 who were acquainted with conditions in America. The works of 

 Cooper, though more widely read than Scott's, therefore at first 

 exerted an influence far less apparent. 



Goethe. — In spite of his advanced age Goethe took a keen in- 

 terest in the literary activities of the younger generation. Goethe 's 

 interest in America are well known. Since 1816 he had at various 

 times received visits from Americans. He also made efforts to 

 acquaint himself with the geography of America, its forms of 

 government, the conditions among its people, and the explorations 

 carried on there. In 1819 he had exclaimed to the American, Cogs- 

 well : "War en wir zwangig Jahre j linger, so segelten wir nach 

 Amerika. In the same year he read the account of Lewis and 

 Clark's expedition; in 1822, Struve's work on ' Northamerican 

 Mineralogy;' in 1823, Irving's 'Sketchbook.'^ Ludwig Gall's 'Aus- 

 wanderung nach den Vereinigten Staaten" (1822) interested him 

 and he suggested the contents of the same as new and valuable 

 material for the younger generation of novelists. 



"Der Bearbeitende," he says, "miisste den Stolz liaben, mit 

 Cooper zu wetteifern, und deshalb die klarste Einsicht in jene 

 uberseeischen Gegenstande zu gewinnen suchen. 



The first translations of Cooper's works into German were 

 those of 'The Pioneers' and 'The Spy,' which appeared as early as 

 1824. However, it was only in 1826 that Goethe took up the read- 

 ing of Cooper. From his 'Tagebiicher' we learn that he was reading 



3 Cf. Horatio S. White's -Goetlie in Amerika.' 'Goethe .Jahrbuch.' 5. Bd. 219 ff. 

 * Cf . Leonard L. Mackall's 'Briefwechsel zwischen Goethe und Amerikanern." 

 'Goethe .Jahrbuch. 2.5. Bd. s. P>. 



•S(M' 'Stoff uud Gehalt. zur Bearbeitung vorgeschlagen, Goethe's Werke.' 

 Cottasehe Ausg. (Goedeke; Bd. 18, s. 261 f. 



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