August Hermann Niemeyer

Who was August Hermann Niemeyer?

August Hermann Niemeyer was a German theologian, teacher, a librettist, a poet, a travel writer, a Protestant church song poet and a Prussian political educator. He was professor of theology in 1780, then vice-chancellor of the University of Halle-Wittenberg.

He studied at the University of Halle, where his teachers included Johann August Nösselt, Johann Jakob Griesbach and Johann Salomo Semler. In 1775 he published a highly regarded work titled Charakteristik der Bibel. In 1778 he met with Johann von Goethe, with whom he established a friendship that lasted until Niemeyer's death in 1828. Around 1802, Niemeyer translated Terence’s Andria for Goethe under the title Die Fremde aus Andros. Soon afterwards the play was performed by the Weimar theatre.

In 1807, after Halle fell to French forces, Napoleon ordered the closure of the university, with Niemeyer being deported to Paris. During this time, the city of Halle was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia. On 1 January 1808, Jérôme Bonaparte re-opened the University of Halle and appointed Niemeyer chancellor.