Theodor Woldsen Storm

Theodor Woldsen Storm (1817-1888), German poet and novelist, was born at Husum, in Schleswig, on the 14th of September 1817. Having studied jurisprudence at Kiel and Berlin, where he formed a close friendship with the brothers Theodor and Tycho Mommsen, he settled in his native town as advocate; but, owing to his German sympathies, lost his post in 1853. Entering the Prussian service as assessor at Potsdam, he was appointed district judge at Heiligenstadt. After the 1 In that country its numbers are said to have greatly diminished since about 1858, when a disastrous spring storm overtook the homeward-bound birds. The like is to be said of Holland since about 1860.

To consult its convenience a stage of some kind, often a cartwheel, is in many places set up and generally occupied by successive generations of tenants.

' Its common Dutch name is Ooijevaar, which can be traced through many forms (Koolmann, Worterb. d. ostfries. Sprache, i. 8, sub voce " Adebar") to the old word Odeboro (" the bringer of good"). In countries where the stork is abundant it enters largely into popular tales, songs and proverbs, and from the days of Aesop has been a favourite in fable.

Danish War of 1864 Storm returned to Husum, and after filling various judicial appointments in the district, retired on a pension and died at Hademarschen on the 4th of July 1888. Storm is hardly less remarkable as a lyric poet than as a novelist. As the former, he made his debut, with the two 'Mommsens, with Liederbuch dreier Freunde (1843); but his Gedichte (1852; 12th edition, 1900) first obtained for him general recognition. As a novelist he gained his first great success with Immensee (1852; 51st edition, 1901); and this was followed by numerous other short stories. He was never weary of painting the scenes of rustic simplicity and the quiet joys of the simple life. He is at his best when dealing retrospectively with episodes and incidents from his own earlier life. Later he passed to psychological problems with Aquis submersus (1877) and Zur Chronik von Grieshuus (1884), and made a deep impression with his fantastic Schimmelreiter (1888) .

Storm's Gesammelte Schriften appeared in 19 vols. between 1868 and 1889; new edition in 8 vols. (1898). His correspondence with E. M&rike was published in 1891, with G. Keller in 1904. See E. Schmidt, Charakteristiken, i. (1886); also P. Schiltze, Theodor Storm, sein Leben and seine Dichtung (1887); F. Wehl, Theodor Storm, ein Bild seines Lebens and Schaffens (1888); A. Biese, Th. Storm and der moderne Realismus (1888); and P. Remer, Theodor Storm als norddeutscher Dichter (1897).