Diederich von dem Werder (Poet, Hymn-Writer)

Born: January 17, 1584 - Rittergut Werdershausen (now district of Stadt Südliches Anhalt, Anhalt), Germany
Died: December 18, 1657 - Rittergut Reinsdorf at Köthen (since 1950 district of Görzig, Anhalt), Germany

Diederich [Dietrich] von dem Werder was a German translator, epic poet and hymn writer. He transmitted, especially through the translation of the Epos Das befreite Jerusalem by Torquato Tasso, the first German poetry seal, the newer Italian Baroque literature in the German-speaking world.

Life

Diederich von dem Werder was the son of Gebhard von dem Werder and his wife Katharina von Hahn. His brothers, who were later also included in the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft, were Heinrich von dem Werder and Kuno Hartwig von der Werder. As a child, he was already at the court of Landgraf Moritz von Hessen-Kassel. There he also visited the Kasseler Hofschule Collegium Mauritianum. In the summer semester of 1596 he enrolled at the University of Leipzig; Two years later, he continued his studies at the University of Jena. Then he began a cavalier tour of France and Italy. There he studied in 1609 for one semester at the University of Siena.

After his return, Landgraf Moritz appointed Diederich von dem Werder Stallmeister and Kammerjunker. In 1610 he distinguished himself with bravery at the siege of Jülich and was promoted to Rittmeister (Captain). After finishing the fighting, he went back to the court in Marburg. There he became Oberhofmarschall und Geheimrat (Lord Court Marshal and Privy Councilor), as well as the supervision over the Kasseler Hofschule. For Landgraf Moritz he was also went on various diplomatic missions; so he came to the courts of Denmark, Saxony, Brandenburg and others. He was also representative on two imperial election days. As a Deutschordensritter (Teutonic Knights), his coat of arms in the Ordensballei Lucklum is prominently featured in front of 42 other knights.

In 1620 Prince Ludwig I of Anhalt-Köthen (Anhalt) incorporated Diederich von dem Werder r into the Fruchtbringende Gesellschaft (Fruitful Society). He gave him the Gesellschaftsnamen der Vielgekörnte with the motto Devise abkühlend stärket (cooling down strength). As an emblem he was given a ripe pomegranate, bristled, in which one sees the grains (Punica granatum L.). In the Köthener Gesellschaftsbuch Werders entry is under the number 31. There is also the rhyme law noted, with which Werder thanks for the recording:
Seht doch die Körner viel der äpffel auß granaten
Ob zur Gesellschafft frucht sie nicht seynd wol gerathen
Vnd Vielgekörnt ich mich mit fug drumb nennen laß
Daß ich den rechten Kern der Sprache zeige baß:
Wann ich Teutsch BARTAM seh abkühlend ich mich stärcke
Vnd reitzt derselb mich an zu einem schweren wercke
Jerusalem erlöst hab ich in Reime bracht
Vnd unsrer Sprach dadurch ein news lob gemacht.

When Diederich von dem Werder failed in negotiations with Tilly, he fell from the court Hesse-Kassel in disgrace and therefore retired in 1622 to his native Gut Reinsdorf im Anhaltischen. Herehe began his rich literary work. In 1623 he was appointed captain of an infantry company in the Anhalt state defenses. He had already withdrawn to his estates when the court went to Halle after the Battle of Breitenfeld, where Gustav II Adolf of Sweden was staying to negotiate with the Protestant princes. The king wanted to give Werder his own regiment, which he initially refused, but he was then persuaded by the Swedish general Baner. So he led from 1631 to 1635 a Swedish regiment. He resigned and went back to his Anhalt property and tried to keep the consequences of the ongoing Thirty Years War from the country. He was appointed director of the Principality.

In 1645 Diederich von dem Werder was sent by the Landgräfin Amalie Elisabeth von Hessen-Kassel to the Brandenburg Court to arrange the wedding of her son Wilhelm von Hesse-Kassel with the Princess Hedwig Sophie von Brandenburg. After the negotiations were successfully concluded, the Elector appointed him on January 25 in Königsberg to the Privy Councilor, Colonel and Amtshauptmann Altgatersleben with 500 Talers salary. This was even increased again, but reduced back to 500 in 1652. He finally moved to his estate Reinsdorf and was until his death only literary activity.

Family

On July 21, 1618 Diederich von dem Werder married Dorothea Katharina von Waldow (d February 12, 1627) daughter of the Hofmarschall Wolf von Waldau from the house Schwanowitz. With her he has the son Paris von dem Werder (1623-1674) and four daughters, who died at an early age. In his second marriage he married on June 14, 1629 Juliane Ursula von Peblis (d 1655) widow of Adolph Wittich von Krosigk and a sister of Georg Hans von Peblis, who was also a member of the Fruchtbringenden Gesellschaft. The couple had a daughter who died early.

Works

Die Buss Psalmen in Poesie gesetzet (Leipzig 1632)
Friedensrede, in Gegenwart vieler Fürsten, Fürstinnen und Fräwlein, auch großer Anzahl Hochadelicher, Gelehrter und anderer vornehmen Manns-, Frawen- und Jungfräwlichen Personen (Hamburger Presse, Hamburg 1918; Nachdruck der Ausgabe Hamburg 1640)
Krieg und Sieg Christi, gesungen in 100 Sonetten, da in jedem und jeglichem Verse die beyden Wörter „Krieg“ und „Sieg“ aufs wenigste einmahl befindlich seyn (Oelschlegel, Halle 1633)
Selbsteigene gottselige Thränen Dieterichs von dem Werder, die er der weiland wholedlen vielehr und tugentreichen Frawen Dorotheen Catharinen, gebornen von Waldaw auß dem Hause Schwanowitz, seinem hertzvielgeliebten Ehegemahl, … zu ihrem Lob von Hertzen nachgesandt hat (Dörffer, Zerbst 1625)
(Übersetzung) Ludovico Ariosto: Der Rasende Roland (Literarischer Verein, Stuttgart 2002; Nachdruck der Ausgabe Leipzig 1634, Werder übersetzte die Gesänge 1-30)
(Übersetzung) Giovanni Francesco Loredano: Dianea oder Räthselgedicht: in welchem, unter vielen anmuthigen Fügnussen, Hochwichtige Staatsachen, Denklöbliche Geschichte, und klugsinnige Ratschläge, vermittels der Majestätischen Deutschen Sprache Kunstzierlich verborgen (Lang, Bern 1984 (Nachdruck der Ausgabe Nürnberg 1644)
(Übersetzung) Torquato Tasso: Gottfried von Bulljon oder das erlösete Jerusalem (Niemeyer, Tübingen 1974; Nachdruck der Ausgabe Franckfurt 1626)

Source: German Wikipedia Website (June 2018); English translation by Aryeh Oron (October 2018)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (October 2018)

Texts of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

BWV 425

Chorale Texts used in Bach’s Vocal Works

Was willst du dich, o meine Seele, kränken (1653)

Links to other Sites

Diederich von dem Werder (Wikipedia) [German]
Dietrich von dem Werder (Heinrich-Schütz-Haus Bad Köstritz) [German]
Deutsche Biographie: Werder, Diederich von dem [German]

Bibliography

Achim Aurnhammer: Torquato Tasso im deutschen Barock (Niemeyer, Tübingen 1994), S. 313–353
Ida-Marie Cattani: Studien zum Tassobild des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts: Untersuchungen über die Übersetzungen des <Befreiten Jerusalem> von D. von dem Werder, J. F. Kopp (Dissertation, Fribourg, 1941)
Bruna Ceresa: Diederichs von dem Werder deutsche Übersetzung von Tassos „Gerusalemme liberata“ (Zürich 1973, Dissertation)
Gerhard Dünnhaupt: Diederich von dem Werder: Versuch einer Neuwertung seiner Hauptwerke (Lang, Bern 1973)
Gerhard Dünnhaupt: Das Eindringen des marinistischen Stils in die deutsche Romanprosa mit Werders „Dianea“-Übersetzung. In: Studi Germanici. nuova serie XI.3 (1973), S. 257–272
Ingeborg Ulrich: Torquato Tassos „Befreites Jerusalem“ in der deutschen Übersetzung von Diederich von dem Werder und Johann DGries (Universität Bonn, Bonn, 1950, Dissertation)
Georg Witkowski: Diederich von dem Werder: Ein Beitrag zur deutschen Literaturgeschichte des 17. Jahrhunderts (Veit, Leipzig, 1887)
Valentin König, u. a., Genealogische Adels-Historie, Band 1, S. 1032, Digitalisat Stammbaum