Justus Möser

Justus Möser (born Dec. 14, 1720, Osnabrück, Münster [now in Lower Saxony, Germany]—died Jan. 8, 1794, Osnabrück) was a German political essayist and poet who was a forerunner of the Sturm und Drang (“Storm and Stress”) movement.

Trained in jurisprudence at the Universities of Jena and Göttingen, Möser was named state’s attorney at Osnabrück (1747), a prince-bishopric, and from 1764 he was very influential as an adviser to the estates and government. Möser also served as chief justice of the criminal court (1762–68), privy councillor of justice (1768), and councillor of justice (1783).

In Möser’s collection of weekly papers, Patriotische Phantasien (1774–76; “Patriotic Ideas”), he called for the national organic development of a state rather than a system of arbitrary laws imposed by a sovereign; J.W. von Goethe compared the Phantasien to writings by Benjamin Franklin. Möser’s Osnabrückische Geschichte (1768; “History of Osnabrück”), a pioneer work, shows the influence of folk traditions on the customs and government of a community. His Über die deutsche Sprache und Literatur (1781; “On German Language and Literature”) was a rejoinder to King Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia, who in an essay denigrated German literature. Möser’s complete writings, including essays, poems, and a tragedy, appear in Sämtliche Werke, 14 vol. (1943–90; “Collected Works”).