Christian Weise

Weise, Christian, (Zittau, 1642-1708, Zittau), a schoolmaster's son, studied in Leipzig where he developed interests in history, politics, and law, and also taught for a time. In 1668 he moved to Halle to become secretary to Simon Philipp of Leiningen-Westerburg, chief minister of Duke August, Administrator of the archbishopric of Magdeburg. After studying for a short time in Helmstedt under Hermann Conring, whose interests included law and politics, and Christoph Schrader, an exponent of German rhetoric, Weise was employed as a private tutor. In 1670 he was offered the chair of politics, rhetoric, and poetry at the Gymnasium illustre Augusteum in Weißenfels, a major new academic institution founded by Duke August where many of the pupils were trained for a career in court administration. He remained here for eight years. From 1678 until shortly before his death he was headmaster at his old school, the Gymnasium in Zittau. As a teacher he was concerned to equip his pupils for the realities of life.

As a student Weise began to write poetry which formed the basis for a collection of light verse, Der grünenden Jugend überflüssige Gedancken (1668), which also contained his first drama, Die Triumphirende Keuschheit. While in Weißenfels he published a number of works which reflect his pedagogic interests; Der Kluge Hoff-Meister (1676), a handbook for teachers and tutors, Schediasma curiosum de lectione novellarum (1675), which emphasized the importance of newspapers as a source of information on current affairs, and Christian Weisens Politischer Redner (1677), an aid to tutors on teaching the art of public speaking and on the composition of compliments. Also in these years four satirical novels appeared: Die drey Haupt-Verderber in Teutschland (1671), followed by three ‘political’ novels, Die drey ärgsten Ertz-Narren in der gantzen Welt (1672), Die Drey Klügsten Leute in der gantzen Welt (1675), and Der politische Näscher (1678), in which a prudent, realistic, and commonsense approach to life is upheld. As headmaster in Zittau Weise was primarily a dramatist, writing about sixty plays. Theatrical production was central to the curriculum. Usually three plays were performed as a kind of festival on three successive days; one biblical or religious, one historical, and the third a comedy. Among his best-known works are the tragedy Von dem Neapolitanischen Rebellen Masaniello (1683, ed. F. Martini, 1972) and the comedy Bäurischer Machiavellus (1679, ed. W. Schubert, 1966). In Zittau he also produced works on logic, politics, ethics, verse composition, and the press. Sämtliche Werke, ed. J. Lindberg, appeared from 1971 (25 vols.).