Friedrich von Matthisson

Friedrich von Matthisson (born Jan. 23, 1761, Hohendodeleben, near Magdeburg, Saxony—died March 12, 1831, Wörlitz, Anhalt-Dessau) was a German poet whose verses were praised for their melancholy sweetness and pastoral descriptive passages. After studying philology at the University of Halle, Matthisson was appointed (1781) master at the once-famous Philanthropin, a seminary in Dessau, and then accepted a travelling tutorship (1784). Appointed reader and travelling companion to Princess Louisa of Anhalt-Dessau, he entered the service of...