Editing Matthias Claudius (section)

==Life==
Claudius was born at [[Reinfeld, Holstein|Reinfeld]], near [[Lübeck]], and studied at [[Jena]]. He spent the greater part of his life in the town of [[Wandsbek (quarter)|Wandsbeck]], where he earned his first literary reputation by editing from 1771 to 1775, a newspaper called ''{{ill|Der Wandsbecker Bothe|de}}'' (The Wandsbeck Messenger) (''Wandsbeck'' until the year 1879 still written with "ck". Today only with "k".), in which he published a large number of prose essays and poems. They were written in pure and simple German, and appealed to the popular taste; in many there was a vein of extravagant humour or even burlesque, while others were full of quiet meditation and solemn sentiment. In his later days, perhaps through the influence of [[Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock|Klopstock]], with whom he had formed an intimate acquaintance, Claudius became strongly pietistic, and the graver side of his nature showed itself. In 1814 he moved to [[Hamburg]], to the house of his son-in-law, the publisher [[Friedrich Christoph Perthes]], where he died on 21 January 1815.