Dates of Life

 

1816	Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Gerstäcker was born on 10 May in Hamburg
1825	His father died and Friedrich came to his uncle to Braunschweig
1833	Unwillingly he was apprenticed to become a commercial clerk, Kassel
1835 - 1837	Agricultural training course at the manor Haubitz

 

1837 - 1843	In May Gerstäcker went to America by ship, stayed there for some years and worked in different jobs
1844	Back in Germany he started to become an author
1849 - 1852	Journey to South America, California, to the South Pacific, Australia and Java
1860 - 1861	Journey to South America and other states
1862	Journey to Africa with the duke of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha
1867	Journey to North America, Mexico, Ecuador, West-India, Venezuela

 

1869	Move to Braunschweig
1870	War correspondent to the German-French War
1872	During the preparations for a journey to India, China and Japan Gerstäcker died on 31 May

Friedrich Gerstäcker in Braunschweig

1825	After the death of his father Gerstäcker lived at his uncles' place E. Schütz at Hagenmarkt (have a look to the epiloge in 'Im Eckfenster').
1869	The successful writer removed to Braunschweig and there he spent his most wunderful days of his young life. His house in Betramstraße 16, today Adolfstraße 45, is as a memorial.
1872	Friedrich Gerstäcker was intered on the churchyard St. Magni, Ottmerstraße, near his house.

You find numerous first editions of his works in the library of the town, Schlossplatz. In the same house is the archive of the town with most of his posthumous works aquired from his familiy. This offers valuable material for research work.

Every two years Braunschweig awards the Friedrich-Gerstäcker-Price to the best adventurous book for young people in the sense of Friedrich Gerstäcker. It's the oldest price for books for young people in Germany.

 

Friedrich-Gerstäcker-Society, registered association

In the year 1979 the Friedrich-Gerstäcker-Society was founded and acknowledged as a non-profit working association. It's mission is ar critical proof and interpretation of the literary works of Friedrich Gerstäcker under different points of view of literary studies and ethnology. The result of the work should help to honour the mostly unknown works of Friedrich Gerstäcker and assing him a place in the history of literature.

The archives of Braunschweig, Wolfenbüttel and Hamburg cooperate together to interpret especially his letters and diaries. There are also other sources which facilitate to interpret subsequent biographic works. In 1976 Thomas Ostwald wrote the first biography "Friedrich Gerstäcker - Life and Work" with 212 pages and a lot of illustrations and pictures. It will be the basis for a later comprehensive biography.

Since 1980 the Friedrich-Gerstäcker-Society has published reprints of his first book in a little edition and high quality. Every year 2-3 bindings appear and are avaible to subscription. Since 1982 bindings with letters with up to now unpublished letters of Friedrich Gerstäcker.