Fun Facts Friday: Georg Philipp Harsdörffer

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

Books by or about Georg Philipp Harsdörffer*

Georg Philipp Harsdörffer was born in Nürnberg. His family was a patrician one, meaning they were allowed to participate in political function, and exercise those rights.
After completing his law studies, he got an education in law, he took an extended educational journey (Bildungsreise) through the Netherlands, France, Italy and England.
Georg Philipp Harsdörffer succeeded in his legal career, by 1632 he was already a junior judge in Nürnberg, and a member of the town senate by 1655.
As a member of Nürnberg’s city council, he advocated for the purification of the German language, and was even known for the Germanization of foreign terminology.
Mr. Harsdörffer wrote in both German and Latin and many of his texts are important to German history and music.
His script and lyrics (libretto) to Sigmund Theophil Staden’s opera The Sacred Forest Poem or Play of Rejoicing called Seelewig (Das geistliche Waldgedicht oder Freudenspiel genant Seelewig) or just Seelewig is considered to be the oldest surviving German language opera.
Mr. Harsdörffer wrote more than 47 books of prose and poetry, noted for their elaborate and playful rhetoric.
A polygot, Mr. Harsdörffer translated works from France, Italian, and Spanish.
Together with poet Johann Klaj, he founded the Pegnesischer Blumenorden, the famous Baroque literary society.
His most widely read work was Women’s Conversation Plays (Frauenzimmer Gesprech-Spiele) published between 1641 and 1649. It included eight dialogues which meant to teach women how to be useful members of society.