Christian of Stolberg-Stolberg

Christian zu Stolberg-Stolberg, by Johann Henirich Lips

Christian, Count of Stolberg-Stolberg (15 October 1748 – 18 January 1821) poet, brother of Frederick Leopold, also a poet.

Born at Hamburg, he became a magistrate at Tremsbüttel in Holstein in 1777. Of the two brothers Frederick was undoubtedly the more talented. Christian though not a poet of high originality, excelled in the utterance of gentle sentiment.^[1]

They published together a volume of poems, Gedichte (edited by H. C. Boie, 1779); Schauspiele mit Chören (1787), their object in the latter work being to revive a love for the Greek drama; and a collection of patriotic poems Vaterländische Gedichte (1815).^[1]

Christian of Stolberg was the sole author of Gedichte aus dem Griechischen (1782), a translation of the works of Sophocles (1787) Die weisse Frau (1814) and of a poem in seven ballads, which last attained considerable popularity.^[1]

Stolberg was married to Louise Stolberg. He died in Windeby.

Notes

Regarding personal names: Until 1919, Graf was a title, translated as 'Count', not a first or middle name. The female form is Gräfin. In Germany, it has formed part of family names since 1919.

1. Chisholm 1911.

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Stolberg, Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 953.