Ekhof, Conrad (1720-1778)

Ekhof, Conrad

ACTOR (HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE)

BORN 12 Aug 1720, Hamburg - DIED 16 Jun 1778, Gotha, Thüringen: Schlossgasse 12
BIRTH NAME Ekhof, Hans Konrad Dietrich
GRAVE LOCATION Gotha, Thüringen: Hauptfriedhof, Langensalzaer Strasse (tomstone (probably cenotaph))

Conrad Ekhof was born in Hamburg as the son of the tailor and city soldier Nicholas Ekhof. He left Hamburg in 1738 and he worked as a clerk for the lawyer Johann Friedrich König in Schwerin. After reading plays in the library of his employer he decided he wanted to be an actor. He met the actress Sophie Schröder (1714-1792) in Schwerin and after he resigned from his job, they both joined the Schönemann Society, an acting troupe. He debuted as an actor on 15 January 1740 in Lüneburg as Xiphares in "Mithridate" by Racine. In 1741 he enjoyed his first success in Hinrich Bokenstein's "Der Bookesbeutel".

From 1750 the Schönemann Society was much respected in Germany and supported by Duke Christian Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and by Princess Louise Friederike. In 1751 they were appointed court comedians. In 1751 Ekhof left the group after differences with Schönemann. In 1764 he joined the Ackermann Society that was led by Konrad Ackermann. In Hamburg the group collaborated with Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Although it was supported by Abel Seyler (1730-1800), financial difficulties meant the end of the company.

After Ekhof took over the management of the group from Seyler it was highly successful in Wetzlar from 1771 to 1772. After he met the poet Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter (1746-1797) from Gotha, the company was invited by Duchess Anna Amalia (1739-1807) to the Weimar court. Seyler resumed the management. After Seyler left for Saxony in 1775 part of the company, including Ekhoff, remained in Gotha. In that year the Court Theatre of Gotha was founded and Ekhof was one of its managers. The theatre soon became a leading theatre in Germany, but after only three years he died in 1778. In 1779 the duke closed the theatre and some of the actors, including Ekhof's pupil August Wilhelm Iffland (1759-1814), joined the theatre in Mannheim.

Ekhof was buried in Gotha at the Friedhof II between the Eisenacher Strasse and the Karl-Schwarz-Straße. His tombstone is now at the grove of honour at the main cemetery.

Related persons
• was teacher of Iffland, August Wilhelm

Images

The tombstone of Conrad Ekhof at the Hauptfriedhof in Gotha.
Picture by Androom (06 Mar 2009)