Wilhelm Paul Corssen

Wilhelm Paul Corssen (20 January 182018 June 1875) was a German philologist noted for his work on Latin and Etruscan topics.

Biography Corssen was born in Bremen and, after his merchant father moved to Schwedt in the Kingdom of Prussia, received his school education there. After spending some time at the Joachimsthal-Gymnasium in Berlin, where his interest in philological pursuits was awakened by the rector, Meinike, he proceeded to the university, and there came especially under the influence of August Böckh and Karl Lachmann.

His first important appearance in literature was as the author of Origines poesis romanae, by which he had obtained the prize offered by the philosophical or arts faculty of the university. In 1846 he was called from Stettin, where he had for nearly two years held a post in the gymnasium, to occupy the position of lecturer in the royal academy at Pforta (commonly called Schulpforta), and there he continued to labour for the next twenty years. he was cut off in 1875 by a comparatively early death in Groß-Lichterfelde.

Influence on Friedrich Nietzsche In Twilight of the Idols ("What I Owe to the Ancients") Friedrich Nietzsche, who was educated at the Schulpforta, pays homage to Corssen in discussion of his education and writing style:

My sense of style, for the epigram as a style, was awakened almost instantly when I came into contact with Sallust. I have not forgotten the surprise of my honored teacher, Corssen, when he had to give his worst Latin pupil the best grade—I had finished with one stroke.