The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Hoffmann, Ernst Theodor Wilhelm
HOFFMANN, Ernst Theodor Wilhelm,
German novelist: b. Königsberg, 24 Jan. 1776;
d. 24 July 1822. In admiration of Mozart be
dropped the name Wilhelm and substituted
Amadeus. His childhood and youth were
joyless and in 1792 he entered the University of
Königsberg to prepare for a legal career. He
practised for a short time at Königsberg,
removing subsequently to Glogau and in 1798 to
Berlin. In 1800 he went to Posen but his
powers of caricature cost him his place and
caused his virtual banishment to Plozk. His
leisure moments were spent in musical composition.
In 1804 he removed to Warsaw, where he
was influenced by the Romantic writers such as

Novalis, Tieck and Wackenroder. During his
sojourn in Warsaw he composed the music to
Brentano's ‘Lustige Musikanten’ and to
Werner's ‘Kreuz an der Ostzee’ and the opera
‘Liebe und Eifersucht.’ Hoffmann's fortunes
were impaired when the French invaded Warsaw,
and in 1808 he moved to Bamberg as
musical director of a theatre there. This
institution became bankrupt and Hoffmann turned
to literature in order to enhance his scanty
earnings as composer and teacher of music.
His earliest work was a series of musical
sketches, ‘Phantasiestücke in Callots Manier’
(4 vols., 1814). In 1814 he was recalled to
Berlin and in 1816 was made councillor of the
Court of Appeal.  In the latter year appeared
his great novel, ‘’
(q.v.), which laid the foundation of his 1iterary
fame. Hoffman's habits of dissipation impaired
his health and he died of locomotor ataxia at
the age of 46. Other works by him are
‘Lebensansichten des Katers Murr’ (1820-22), ‘Die
Serapionsbrüder’ (1819) and ‘Nachtstücke’
(1817). His works were recently published (15
vols., 1905). His musical compositions were
edited by E. Istel (1906). Translations of all
of his important works have appeared in
English. Consult Ellinger, G., ‘E. T. A.
Hoffmann’ (1894); Hitzig, ‘Hoffmann's Leben und
Nachlass’ (Stuttgart 1839); Klinke, O.,
‘Hoffmann's Leben und Werke vom Standpunkte
eines Irrenarztes’ (1903); Sakheim, Arthur,
‘E. T. A. Hoffmann: Studien zu seiner
Personlichkeit und seinen Werken’ (Leipzig 1908);
Wolzogen, Hans, ‘E. T. A. Hoffmann und R.
Wagner’ (Berlin 1906).