Christoph von Schmid

Christoph von Schmid.

Rosa von Tannenburg by Christoph von Schmid

Christoph von Schmid (15 August 1768 Dinkelsbuehl, Bavaria - 3 September 1854 Augsburg) was a writer of children's stories and an educator. His stories were very popular and translated into many languages. His best-known work in the English-speaking world is The Basket of Flowers (Das Blumenkörbschen).

Biography

He studied theology and was ordained priest in 1791. Christoph von Schmid then served as assistant in several parishes until 1796, when he was placed at the head of a large school in Thannhausen on the Mindel, where he taught for many years. He soon began writing books for children which taught Christian values.^[1] His first work was a bible history for children (1801). He continued with his calling as a writer of children's books throughout his long life, one of his most noted stories being Die Ostereier (Easter Eggs, 1816) due to its popularity and also that he started signing himself as "author of Easter Eggs."^[2] Many say that he was the pioneer writer of books for youths. His original purpose for writing was to reward his students after school by reading his books to them. His writings have been translated into 24 languages. His principle juvenile works are Biblische Geschichte für Kinder, Der Weihnachtsabent, Genovena, Ostereier, Das Blumenkörbschen, and Erzählungen für Kinder und Kinderfreunde (1823–1829).^[1] His stories usually center around a disturbance to the happiness of good people which God's righteousness finally fixes, the goal of the writer being to awaken a practical piety in his youthful readers. He also wrote poems which are scattered here and there in his work.^[2] His autobiography, Erinnerungen aus meinem Leben, was published in 1853–1857. From 1816 to 1826 he was parish priest at Oberstadion in Württemberg. In 1826, Christoph von Schmid was appointed canon of the Cathedral of Augsburg, where he died of cholera when he was eighty seven.^[1]

References

• This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.
• Binder, "Schmid, Christoph von" in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, Band 31 (Leipzig, 1890), S. 657-659. (German)

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} NIE.
2. ^ ^{a b} ADB.

External links

•  "Schmid, Christoph von". New International Encyclopedia. 1905. 
•  "Christoph von Schmid". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 
• The Basket of Flowers at Project Gutenberg

Persondata
Name	Schmid, Christoph von
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	15 August 1768
Place of birth
Date of death	3 September 1854
Place of death