Novalis
Novalis (pseudonym of Friedrich von Hardenberg, 1772–1801),an important German romantic writer who pioneered a revolutionary new aesthetic for the literary fairy tale. Born on the family estate in Oberwiederstedt, Novalis was the eldest son in a family dominated by a strict father, who belonged to the pietistic Herrnhuter sect. Despite being drawn to philosophy and literature, Novalis studied law in deference to his father's expectation that he pursue an administrative career. After receiving his law degree from the University of Wittenberg in 1794, Novalis was apprenticed by his father to the district director of Thuringia so that he could pursue his administrative training. In the course of an official visit to a landowner's estate, Novalis met the 12‐year‐old Sophie von Kühn, with whom he fell in love. The two were secretly engaged, but she died in 1797. Sophie's death, coupled with the loss of his brother Erasmus less than one month later,...
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