The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-05
TODAY IN HISTORY
Birthday Of Hans Sachs, the Molster"
singer.
SATURDAY., NOVEMBER 5, 1911

Birthday Of Hans Sachs, the Melster'
singer.
On November O. 1924. Hans Sachs was
born. He WAS ono OF the early 'ermnn
nclstersingers. aud gave Goethe 1,t, me on pIc
turesoue old city Of Nuremberg StIlI pre-
serves. with jealous care. the house ol
Sachs in a street named for the eminent
poet.
II was decided that Hans should iol-
low his fathers calling. that OF a Shoc-
maker but he was frst carefully cuu-
Gated at tho Latin school OF tne Guy
before he began 10 learn his trade.
A trade meant something OF Importance
In those days when tho guilds-or laDor
organiza ons-wcre the supreme power
in civil affairs. One OF the chief features
that counted largely in the connection oil
learning trade was what was ca,,ca ,
the ''wandcrjalirc. \ young man must
perfect himself In his preparation TO an
nouncc himself ready for patronage py
going to work in many cities, learning I,
methods, and customs, and broadening
himself I'm thought and exercise.
Hans worked at what he called MS
craft at Ratison. Faasau. SaDburg
Leips!o; Lubee and osnabruck. Then o,,, ne
the rest OF his DAYS as shoe
maker. making literature his pastime ana
real JOY of life.
Hans Sachs married when he was 25
and. this first wife having died. he mar
ricd again In 1851. Both wives bore him
children. so Inc had a. large family. but
regulated German home life that is full
OF simple and far-reaChns influence.
There was At Nuremberg q branch OF
the guild OF the Melstersiugcrs. that re-
power I'm the literary development of Ger
many. His ina gination was entirely un-
der the sway OF this organizations
He followed them in their first reading
of the old poems OF tho Mortimer, in
their frs, rude attempts To write songs
OF traditional glory; he could, I'm fancy,
tgl, l. ttaI
guild to Pavia TO sing the songs inspired
BY their study; and he saw the crown
OF gold that Otto gave them upon their
departure which was 10 be annually be-
slowed upon him whom they had So
lectcd as httest TO be the laureate for
that year
In the meantime he was writing
poems grave and witty, fables stories
and parallels These at length attracted
attention, and he was elected a member
OF the guild. and proved 10 be the most
distinguished OF the Nuremberg mem
bers.
II is claimed for Hans Sachs that he
founded in Germany the school Of traG
poe, Goethe repestedly @ epE said that he s'so sot
the outline OF his Faust from Sachs
and the idea OF many of his other works
from the same source.
Hans felt The need of prcpa ration for
his place in the ranks of the MeIster
singers, and he went To Munich for a
time to study. He wrote thousands Of
pp'luo-NIl'S SdN III nuremberg over b"uvr
His imagination was fertile. and lie had
happy way OF expressing his thought
1t was an original style, and its flashes
OF fun gave an added charm TO ii.
There came time. some 300 years
ago. when German writers abandoned the
traditions OF the carly singers and be-
gan TO copy the style Of foreign writer's.
Thus ii happened that there was d PC
riod in which Sachs was almost unread !
even in his own city. II was, in truth. |
Goethe who awakened afresh the interest
In this admirable poet. And he Is now
familiar TO all readers who enjoy and |
poetic genius and expression.
In the old churohyard OF st. John. be-
yond the Burg and 1'hiergartcn gale. lies |
the body of Hans Sachs Tho burChcr |
aristocracy Of Nuremberg lies here their !
dramas Of life having been played, There !
are nearly 1000 erovcstones. most OF
them bearing bronze plates with coats OF
arms and various family devices, each
one numbered.
The city library has a valuable collec-
ton of Hans Sachs's poems. and these
Are counted as veritabe treasures.
November 5 is the date Columbus ar
NsH la, Ill La f-.l