Joseph von Sonnenfels (1732, Nikolsburg/Mikulov, Moravia - April 25, 1817, Vienna) was an Austrian and German jurist and
novelist
He is a son of Perlin Lipmann, and brother of Franz Anton von Sonnenfels. Joseph, who
was baptized in his early youth, received his elementary education at the gymnasium
of his native town, and then studied philosophy at the University of Vienna. In 1749, he joined the regiment "Deutschmeister" as a private, advancing to
the rank of corporal. On his discharge in 1754, he took a course in law at the University of Vienna, then he established himself
as a counselor at law in the Austrian capital. From 1761 to 1763, he officiated as secretary of the Austrian "Arcierengarde". In
1763, he was appointed professor of political science at the University of Vienna,
twice acting as rector magnificus. In 1779, he received the title of "Wirklicher Hofrath", and was in 1810 elected
president of the Academy of Sciences, a position
which he held until his death.
From 1765 to 1767 and from 1769 to 1775 Sonnenfels was editor of "Der Mann ohne Vorurtheil", in which paper he defended the
liberal tendencies in literature. He improved the Vienna stage especially through his critical work "Briefe über die Wienerische
Schaubühne", in which he attacked the harlequin of the Vienna theater, causing this figure to be eliminated from the personnel of
the stage.
He was chiefly instrumental in bringing about the abolition of torture in Austria (1776). Sonnenfels' attitude toward
Lessing placed the former in a very unfavorable light, as it was due to his intrigues and
jealousy that Lessing was not called to Vienna. Sonnenfels was severely condemned for his action in this affair.
He is also the dedicatee of Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 15, Op. 28, which was published in 1801.
Literary works
Among Sonnenfels' many works may be mentioned:
- "Specimen Juris Germanici de Remediis Juris, Juri Romano Incognitis," Vienna, 1757;
- "Ankündigung einer Teutschen Gesellschaft in Wien," ib. 1761;
- "Betrachtungen über die Neuen Politischen Handlungsgrundsätze der Engländer," ib. 1764;
- "Grundsätze der Polizei, Handlung und Finanzwissenschaft," ib. 1765-67 (8th ed. 1819);
- "Briefe über die Wienerische Schaubühne," ib. 1768 (reedited by Sauer, ib. 1884);
- "Von der Verwandlung der Domänen in Bauerngüter," ib. 1773;
- "Ueber die Abschaffung der Tortur," Zurich, 1775 (2d ed. Nuremberg, 1782);
- "Abhandlung über die Aufhebung der Wuchergesetze," Vienna, 1791;
- "Handbuch der Innern Staatsverwaltung," ib. 1798
- "Ueber die Stimmenmehrheit bei Criminalurtheilen," Vienna, 1801 (2d ed. 1808)
His "Gesammelte Werke" appeared in 10 volumes (Vienna, 1783-87), and contained most of his belletristic works,
poems, and dramas.
References
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