Johann Gottfried Schnabel | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1692-11-07)November 7, 1692 Sandersdorf, Germany |
| Died | c. 1751–1758 (aged 58–66) |
| Pen name | Gisander |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | German |
| Notable works | Insel Felsenburg |
Johann Gottfried Schnabel (November 7, 1692 –c. 1751–1758) was a German writer best known for his novelInsel Felsenburg. He published his works under thepen nameGisander.
Schnabel was born inSandersdorf nearBitterfeld, today'sGermany. Orphaned in 1694, he was raised by relatives.[1] After an apprenticeship with a barber from 1706 to 1709, Schnabel worked as aFeldsher, a military barber-surgeon, in the regiments ofWolfenbüttel andSaxony until 1717.[2] In this capacity he took part in theWar of the Spanish Succession. In 1719, Schnabel settled as a master barber inQuerfurt. From 1724 he was court barber in the County ofStolberg-Wernigerode, where he was promoted tovalet de chambre in 1729 and to court agent around 1737.[2] The year 1750 shows the last record of Schnabel's life; his death date and place are unknown.
TheInsel Felsenburg (literally: Rock Castle Island) was originally published in 1731 under the title
The title was only in 1828 shortened intoInsel Felsenburg when republished in an abridged version by GermanromanticistLudwig Tieck.
The title summarizes the book. It is about a seaman who is shipwrecked on the coast of an island, where he marries and starts a family of 300. It combines themes of the then-popular genre of therobinsonade with elements of a socialutopia.
The book was highly successful when it was published. German authorArno Schmidt wrote in a review to a reissue of the book: "It is attested that around and after 1750 the library of a commoner consisted of at least two volumes: the Bible and theInsel Felsenburg."[3] Due to the success of the original work, Schnabel published three sequels of decreasing quality.
