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{{Short description|German lawyer and translator (1750–1819)}}{{Infobox person
| name               = Friedrich Leopold Stolberg
| image              = Friedrich leopold graf zu stolberg.jpg
| native_name        = Friedrich Leopold zu Stolberg-Stolberg
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1750|11|7}}
| birth_place        = [[Bad Bramstedt]], [[Duchy of Holstein]]
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1819|12|05|1750|11|7}}
| death_place        = Sondermühlen, near [[Melle, Germany|Melle]], [[Kingdom of Hanover]]
| relatives          = [[Catharine Stolberg]] (sister)<br/>[[Christian of Stolberg-Stolberg]] (brother)
}}

'''Friedrich Leopold Graf<ref group="Note" name="Note01" /> zu Stolberg-Stolberg''' (7 November 1750 &ndash; 5 December 1819), was a German lawyer, and translator. He was also a poet of the ''[[Sturm und Drang]]'' and early Romantic periods.

==Life==
Friedrich Leopold was born 7 November 1750 in [[Bad Bramstedt|Bramstedt]] within the [[Duchy of Holstein]], which was then a part of [[Denmark]]. Through his mother, Christiane C. F. Castell-Remlingen (1722–1773), and father, Christian Günther Stolberg (1714–1765), he belonged to a [[cadet branch]] of the Stolberg family. He was one of 12 children, and was the brother of [[Christian of Stolberg-Stolberg|Christian Stolberg]] and [[Catharine Stolberg]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lohmeier|first=Dieter|date=2011-07-18|title=Frederik Leopold Stolberg|url=https://biografiskleksikon.lex.dk/Frederik_Leopold_Stolberg|access-date=2025-03-02|website=Danmarks Nationalleksikon|publisher=[[Dansk Biografisk Leksikon]]|language=da}}</ref> His father was a danish [[magistrate]] and the owner of a manorial estate. A few years after his birth the family moved to Copenhagen, where he soon formed friendships with distinguished literary men. [[Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock]], in particular, became a mentor to Stolberg and his brothers after the death of their father in 1765.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=tQHnSQVWlUoC&dq=Friedrich+Leopold+zu+Stolberg-Stolberg&pg=PA13 Joshua, Eleoma. ''Friedrich Leopold Graf Zu Stolberg and the German Romantics'', Peter Lang, 2005, p. 15] {{ISBN|9783039102570}}</ref>

Together with his elder brother Christian, Friedrich Leopold went to the [[University of Halle]] in 1770, in order to study [[German Law]]. His other studies embraced the [[Classics]] and various historical courses. The two brothers then studied in [[university of Göttingen|Göttingen]] and were a prominent members of the [[Göttinger Hainbund]], a literary society of young men who had high aspirations for the unity of the country, and who cultivated [[German poetry]].<ref name=Wittman>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14299b.htm Wittman, Pius, and Klemens Löffler. "Stolberg." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 9 September 2021{{PD-notice}}</ref> After leaving the university, in 1775 the brothers made a journey to [[Switzerland]] in company with the famed poet [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}
[[File:Graff Henriette Eleonore Agnes Gräfin zu Stolberg@Goethe-Museum Frankfurt a.M.20170819.jpg|thumb|Henriette Eleonore Agnes, Stolberg's first wife (portrait by [[Anton Graff]], 1785)]]

In 1777 Friedrich Leopold was appointed envoy of the [[Prince-Bishopric of Lübeck|prince bishop of Lübeck]] at the Court of [[Copenhagen]], but often stayed at [[Eutin]] to spend time with his college friend and member of the Dichterbund, [[Johann Heinrich Voss]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} In 1781, he was chief administrator at Eutin.<ref name=Wittman/>

In 1782 Stolberg married Henriette Eleonore Agnes von Witzleben (1761–1788), whom he celebrated in his poems. The couple had two sons and two daughters. After six years of happy married life, Agnes died in 1788. 
[[File:Graff Sophie Charlotte Eleonore Gräfin zu Stolberg@Goethe-Museum Frankfurt a.M.20170819.jpg|thumb|left|Sophie Charlotte Eleonore, Stolberg's second wife (portrait by [[Anton Graff]], 1789/1792)]]
Friedrich Leopold then became [[Denmark|Danish]] envoy to the Court of [[Prussia]], and married Countess Sophie Charlotte Eleonore von Redern (1765–1842) in 1789.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} After their wedding he and his wife took a grand tour through Germany, Switzerland, and Italy; he documented this trip in a series of letters, ''Travels through Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Sicily.''<ref>Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg, Translated from the German into English, Thomas Holcroft. London, G.G. & J Robinson, 1797.</ref><ref>{{cite book|title= Reference Guide to the Literature of Travel|author=Edward Godfrey Cox|year=1935|publisher= University of Washington|location= Seattle|via=Hathi Trust|volume=1: Old World|chapter-url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015049531463?urlappend=%3Bseq=181|chapter= West Europe|series=University of Washington publications. Language and literaturev. 9-10, 12|hdl=2027/mdp.39015049531463?urlappend=%3Bseq=181 }}</ref>

This tour was of great importance for his religious development, as he then made the acquaintance of the devout Catholic [[Clemens August von Droste-Vischering|Freiherr von Droste-Vischering]], as well as of Droste-Vischering's resident tutor, the distinguished theologian [[Johann Theodor Katerkamp|Katerkamp]]. In 1791 he was appointed president of the Lübeck episcopal court at Eutin. In June, 1800, he joined the Catholic Church in the private chapel of the [[Adelheid Amalie Gallitzin|Princess Gallitzin]] at Osnabrück, and on 22 August he resigned his various positions, retiring to [[Münster]] in [[Westphalia]].<ref name=Wittman/> He was active in a group of Westphalian Catholics working to develop Romanticism.<ref name="britannica">[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Friedrich-Leopold-Graf-zu-Stolberg-Stolberg Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg". ''Encyclopedia Britannica'']</ref>

By his second marriage Stolberg had a large family, of which all, with the exception of the oldest daughter, followed their father's example and joined the [[Roman Catholic|Catholic Church]] in 1801. His eldest daughter, Marie Agnes, was betrothed to the [[Lutheran]] Count Ferdinand of [[Stolberg-Wernigerode]], son of [[Christian Frederick of Stolberg-Wernigerode]]. Four of his sons and two of his sons-in-law took part in the campaign against [[France]] in 1814; one of which was killed at the [[Battle of Ligny]] in 1815. For his conversion to [[Roman Catholic|Catholicism]], Friedrich Leopold was severely attacked by his former friend Voss (''Wie ward Fritz Stolberg zum Unfreien?'', 1819). After living for a while (from 1812) in the neighbourhood of [[Bielefeld]], he removed to his estate of Schloss Sondermühlen (now part of [[Melle, Germany|Melle]]) near [[Osnabrück]], where he remained until his death in 1819.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==Authorship==
In his student days, Stolberg was a member of the ''Göttinger Hainbund'' within the Sturm und Drang movement. His poetry was said to have a "pastoral, idyllic quality that ties his work to the Romantics."<ref name="britannica" />

Friedrich Leopold wrote many [[ode]]s, [[ballad]]s, [[satire]]s and dramas: among them the [[tragedy]] ''Timoleon'' (1784). He produced translations of the ''[[Iliad]]'' (1778), of ''Plato'' (1796–1797), ''[[Aeschylus]]'' (1802), and ''[[Ossian]]'' (1806); he published in 1815 a ''Leben Alfreds des Grossen'', and a 17 volume work ''Geschichte der Religion Jesu Christi'' (1806–1818).{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Other works include poetry, including ''Ballads'' (1779) and ''Iambics'' (1784); other works, such as ''Plays'' (1787) and ''Travels'' (1791); and novels, such as ''The Island'' (1788). He also wrote a history of ''Alfred the Great'' (1816), a life of ''St. Vincent de Paul,'' translated passages from the works of [[Augustine of Hippo|St. Augustine]], and wrote meditations on the Holy Scriptures. These meditations however, together with the ''Büchlein der Liebe'', and the polemical pamphlet ''Kurze Abfertigung des langen Schmähschrifts des Hofrats Voss'', did not appear until after his death.

Several of his poems were set to music by the Austrian composer [[Franz Schubert]], and one poem was set to music by the Swedish composer [[Joseph Martin Kraus]].

== Works==
The ''Collected Works of Christian and Friedrich Leopold zu Stolberg'' were published in twenty volumes in 1820–1825. Friedrich's correspondence with [[Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi|FH Jacobi]] can be found in Jacobi's ''Briefwechsel'' (1825–1827).{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Selections from the poetry of him and his brother Christian will be found in August Sauer's ''Der Göttinger Dichterbund'', iii. ([[Joseph Kürschner|Kürschner]]'s ''Deutsche Nationalliteratur'', vol. 50, 1896). See also:
*Theodor Menge, ''Der Graf F. L. Stolberg and seine Zeitgenossen'' (2 vols, 1862)
*JH Hennes, ''Aus F. L. von Stolbergs Jugendjahren'' (1876)
*the same, ''Stolberg in den zwei letzten Jahrzehnten seines Lebens'' (1875)
*[[Johannes Janssen]], ''F. L. Graf zu Stolberg'' (2 vols, 1877), 2nd ed. 1882
*[[Wilhelm Keiper]], ''F. L. Stolbergs Jugendpoesie'' (1893).

==References==
===Notes===
{{reflist|group=Note|refs=
<ref name=Note01>{{German title Graf}}</ref>
}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

=== Attribution ===
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Stolberg, Friedrich Leopold, Graf zu|volume=25|page=953}}
* {{Catholic|wstitle=Stolberg}}

==Further reading==
* {{Citation|publisher = G.G. and J. Robinson|location = London|author = Frederic Leopold Stolberg|translator=Thomas Holcroft|translator-link=Thomas Holcroft|title = Travels through Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Sicily|date = 1796–1797|url=https://archive.org/stream/travelsthroughge01stol#page/n9/mode/2up }} [https://archive.org/stream/travelsthroughge02stol v.2] + [https://archive.org/stream/travelsthroughge02stol#page/612/mode/2up Index]

==External links==
* [http://www.zeno.org/Literatur/M/Stolberg,+Friedrich+Leopold+Graf+zu Zeno.org Biography and Works Online (In German)]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stolberg-Stolberg, Friedrich Leopold zu}}
[[Category:1750 births]]
[[Category:1819 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Bad Bramstedt]]
[[Category:People from the Duchy of Holstein]]
[[Category:German Catholic poets]]
[[Category:German Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Translators to German]]
[[Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism]]
[[Category:18th-century Danish nobility]]
[[Category:University of Göttingen alumni]]
[[Category:House of Stolberg|Friedrich Leopold]]
[[Category:German male poets]]
[[Category:18th-century German poets]]
[[Category:19th-century German poets]]
[[Category:18th-century German male writers]]
[[Category:19th-century German male writers]]
[[Category:Counts of Stolberg|Friedrich Leopold]]
[[Category:German male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:18th-century German translators]]
[[Category:19th-century German translators]]