Georg Philipp Harsdorffer

Georg Philipp Harsdörffer (1 November 1607 – 17 September 1658) was a Jurist, Baroque-period German poet and translator.

Life and career Georg Philipp Harsdörffer was born in Nuremberg on 1 November 1607 into a patrician family. He studied law at Altdorf and Strassburg. He received a broad classical education in the home of his family before pursuing studies at the University of Strassburg After completing his studies, he traveled through the Netherlands, England, France and Italy. While he was in Italy, he came into contact with members of learned academies. He shared his desire for reform in literary and linguistic for the improvement of moral and culture of the society.

Harsdörffer returned to Nuremberg in 1634. There he worked as a government assessor until 1655 when he was elected to the Nuremberg city council. During that time he became a vocal advocate for the purification of the German language. As an innovative poet, he was receptive to ideas from abroad.

He was the father of Karl Gottlieb Harsdörffer (1637–1708).

Selected works Frauenzimmer Gesprächspiele, 8 Bde. (1641–1649) Das geistlich Waldgedicht oder Freudenspiel, genant Seelewig (1644) Poetischer Trichter-die Teutsche Dicht- und Reimkunst ohne Behuf der lateinischen Sprache, in VI Stunden einzugießen (1647–1653) Hertzbewegliche Sonntagsandachten (1649–1652) Der Grosse Schau-Platz Jämmerlicher Mord-Geschichte (1649–1650) Der Grosse Schau-Platz Lust- und Lehr-reicher Geschichte (1650–1651) Nathan und Jotham (1650–1651) Ars Apophthegmatica, 2 Bde. (1655–1656)