Johann Wilhelm Archenholz was born in Langfuhr (Wrzeszcz) near Danzig (Gdańsk) on 3 September 1741. He was a Prussian officer, Professor of History and a publicist. His book about the history of the Seven Years' War (1756–63) was the basis for many reprints, as well as for school books.
Life.
Archenholz passed from the Berlin Cadet school into the Prussian army at the age of sixteen, and took part in the last campaigns of the Seven Years' War. Retiring from military service, on account of his wounds, with the rank of captain in 1763, he travelled for sixteen years and visited nearly all the countries of Europe, and resided in England for ten years from 1769 to 1779.
Returning to Germany in 1780, he obtained a lay canonry at Magdeburg Cathedral, and immediately entered upon a literary career by publishing the periodical "Litteratur- und Völkerkunde" (Leipzig, 1782–1791). This was followed in 1785 by "England und Italien" (Leipzig, 1787), in which he gives an appreciation of English political and social institutions. Between 1789 and 1798 he published his "Annalen der britischen Geschichte" (20 volumes). But the work by which he is best known to fame is his history of the Seven Years' War, "Geschichte des siebenjährigen Krieges" (first published in the "Berliner historisches Taschenbuch" of 1787, and later in 2 volumes.
In 1791 Archenholz lived in France with his family, publishing German language reports about the French Revolution in his journal "Minerva". While at first he agreed with the ideas of the revolution, his view was changed by the ongoing violence. In 1792 he had to flee the country as he was threatened to be beheaded following some of his political papers.
In 1792 he moved to Hamburg, and there, from 1792 to 1812, edited the "Minerva", which had a reputation for its literary, historical and political information.
Archenholz commissioned a Berlin artist, Johann Friedrich Bolt, to produce a copper etching for Archenholz's History of Gustav Vasa of the famous Swedish Nobility. He died in Öjendorf (part of Hamburg today) on 28 February 1812, where the street Archenholzstraße ("Archenholz street") and a school called "Grundschule Archenholzstraße" is named after him today.
Assessment.
Archenholz' understanding of his role as a publicist was very modern for his times. He strove not to deliver opinions to his readers but instead unbiased facts. His main interest was current politics in Europe as well as their historical development.
References.
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