Friedrich Christoph Förster
Friedrich Christoph Förster was a German historian and poet.
Biography
He was the second son of Karl Christoph Förster, and consequently an older brother of the painter Ernst Joachim Förster. He received his early education at Altenburg, and after a course of theology at Jena, devoted some time to archaeology and the history of art.At the outbreak of the War of Liberation against Napoleon in 1813, he joined the Lützow Free Corps with Theodor Körner, quickly attaining the rank of captain. Like Körner, he wrote spirited war songs, which added to the national enthusiasm. On the conclusion of the war, he was appointed professor at the school of engineering and artillery in Berlin, but on account of some democratic writings he was dismissed from this office in 1817. He then became connected with various journals until about 1829, when he received an appointment at the royal museum in Berlin, with the title of court councillor. He was the founder and secretary of the Wissenschaftlicher Kunstverein in Berlin.
Works
Förster's principal works are:Beiträge zur neueren Kriegsgeschichte Grundzüge der Geschichte des preussischen Staates Der Feldmarschall Blücher und seine Umgebungen Friedrich der Grosse, Jugendjahre, Bildung und Geist Albrecht von Wallenstein Friedrick Wilhelm I, König von Preussen Die Höfe und Kabinette Europas im 18. Jahrhundert Leben und Taten Friedrichs des Grossen Wallensteins Prozess Preussens Helden in Krieg und Frieden, neuere und neueste preussische Geschichte. This is a history of Prussia from 1640-1815. The three concluding volumes of this work contain the history of the war of liberation of 1813-1815. This worked provoked severe criticism.He brought out an edition of Hegel's works, adapted several of Shakespeare's plays for the theatre, wrote a number of poems and an historical drama, Gustav Adolf.
Many of his lesser writings were collected and published as Kriegslieder, Romanzen, Erzählungen und Legenden. The beginning of an autobiography of Förster, edited by H. Kletke, has been published under the title, Kunst und Leben.