 thumb friedrich leopold graf zu stolberg-stolberg (7 november 1750 &ndash; 5 december 1819), was a german poet, lawyer and translator born at bramstedt in holstein (then a part of denmark). ==life== friedrich leopold belonged to a cadet branch of the stolberg family. he was born the son of a danish magistrate and owner of a manorial estate, count christian zu stolberg. together with his 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 gÃ¶ttingen and were a prominent members of the famous hain or dichterbund, a society of young men who had high aspirations for the unity of the country, and who cultivated german poetry. after leaving the university the brothers made a journey to switzerland in company with the famed poet johann wolfgang von goethe. in 1777 friedrich leopold was appointed envoy of the prince bishop of lÃ¼beck 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. in 1782 stolberg married agnes von witzleben, whom he celebrated in his poems. after six years of happy married life, leaving two sons and two daughters, agnes died an early death in 1788. friedrich leopold then became danish envoy to the court of prussia, and contracted a second marriage with the countess sophie von redern in 1789. 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.friedrich leopold, graf zu stolberg, translated from the german into english, thomas holcroft. london, g.g. & j robinson, 1797. this tour was of great importance for his religious development, as he then made the acquaintance of the devout catholic freiherr von droste-vischering, as well as of droste-vischering's resident tutor, the distinguished theologian katerkamp. in 1791 he was appointed president of the lÃ¼beck episcopal court at eutin; he resigned this office in 1800, retiring to mÃ¼nster in westphalia. by his second marriage stolberg had a large family, of w
1750_births 1819_deaths Converts_to_Roman_Catholicism_from_Lutheranism Danish_nobility German_Catholic_poets German_Roman_Catholics German_translators House_of_Stolberg People_from_Bad_Bramstedt People_from_the_Duchy_of_Holstein Translators_to_German University_of_GAPttingen_alumni