Der deutsche Grandison

work by Musäus

Also known as: “Grandison der Zweite”

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June 25, 2026

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"Der deutsche Grandison," or "The German Grandison," is a satirical work by Johann Karl August Musäus, published in 1781–82. It humorously critiques Samuel Richardson's popular sentimental hero, Sir Charles Grandison, who had many admirers in Germany. Musäus, a German satirist and writer of fairy tales, was known for his graceful and subtly ironic retellings of folk tales. He studied theology but turned to literature, also writing satires like "Physiognomische Reisen" and the popular "Volksmärchen der Deutschen" (Fairy Tales of the Germans).1

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Johann Karl August Musäus
(1760–62), revised as Der deutsche Grandison (1781–82; “The German Grandison”), was a satire of Samuel Richardson’s hero Sir Charles Grandison, who had many sentimental admirers in Germany. In 1763 Musäus was made master of the court pages at Weimar and later (1770) became professor at the Weimar Gymnasium.
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(1760–62), revised as Der deutsche Grandison (1781–82; “The German Grandison”), was a satire of Samuel Richardson’s hero Sir Charles Grandison, who had many sentimental admirers in Germany. In 1763 Musäus was made master of the court pages at Weimar and later (1770) became professor at the Weimar Gymnasium.
Read More