Detlev von Liliencron

Who was Detlev von Liliencron?

Baron Detlev von Liliencron born Friedrich Adolf Axel Detlev Liliencron was a German lyric poet and novelist from Kiel, the son of Louis Freiherr von Liliencron and Adeline von Harten.

He entered the Prussian army and took part in the campaigns of 1866 and 1870–71, in both of which he was wounded. In 1875, he retired with the rank of captain and spent some time in America, afterwards settling at Kellinghusen in Holstein, where he remained until 1887. After some time at Munich, he settled in Altona and later at Alt-Rahlstedt, now a part of Hamburg.

He first attracted attention by the volume of poems, Adjutantenritte und andere Gedichte, which was followed by several unsuccessful dramas, a volume of short stories, Eine Sommerschlacht, and a novel Breide Hummelsbüttel.

Other collections of short stories appeared under the titles Unter flatternden Fahnen. Der Mäcen, Krieg und Frieden; of lyric poetry in 1889, 1890, 1893, and 1903. Interesting, too, is the humorous epic Poggfred.

Liliencron was one of the most eminent of German lyric poets of his time; his Adjutantenritte, with its fresh original style, broke with the well-worn literary conventions then prevalent which had been handed down from the middle of the century. Rainer Maria Rilke, among others, was heavily influenced by Liliencron's poems. Liliencron's work is, however, somewhat uneven, since he lacked the sustained power which makes a prose writer successful.