Scheffel, Joseph Victor von (1826-1886)

Scheffel, Joseph Victor von

POET, NOVELIST, LAWYER (GERMANY)

BORN 16 Feb 1826, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg - DIED 9 Apr 1886, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg
GRAVE LOCATION Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg: Hauptfriedhof (Gruft, Grabstätte 045)

Joseph Victor von Scheffel was the son of an engineer. His mother Josephine painted, wrote and had a salon in Karlsruhe. He studied law, philology and literature in Munich, Heidelberg and Berlin. He soon abandoned his legal career and with the painter Julius Zielke to Rome in 1852. There he discovered that he had more talent for poetry than for painting. On Capri he wrote the epical poem "Der Trompeter von Säckingen" (1853) that was inspired by his love for his cousin Emma Koch-Heim (1835-1910).

Afer his return to Germany he asked in vain for Emma's hand, but he had warm feelings for her during his further life. In 1857 he published his historical novel "Ekkejard". He lived for a while in Munich and from 1858 to 1859 he was librarian to Karl Egon III. zu Fürstenberg in Donaueschingen. He returned to his native Karlsruhe afterwards. His "Gaudeamus, Lieder Aus Dem Engeren Und Weiteren" (1863) made him popular under German students.

In 1864 he married Caroline Freiin von Malsen. It was an unhappy marriage and when their only child Victor was born in 1867 they didn't live together anymore. In 1869 he kidnapped his son from a playground in Munich and Victor grew up with him in Karlsruhe and entered into a military career. Von Scheffel was only reconciled with Caroline on his deathbed in 1886.

Images

The gravesite of Joseph Victor von Scheffel at the Hauptfriedhof, Karlsruhe.
Picture by Androom (03 Sep 2008)