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NOVALIS, nṓ-vä'lĭs (Lat., fallow land). Aname assumed by Friedrich von Hardenberg(1772-1801), a German romantic author, onceof cosmopolitan renown. He was born inPrussian Saxony. His parents were Moravians,and he was much influenced by that mysticreligion. He studied at Jena, Leipzig, and Wittenberg,and in 1794 went to Tennstädt to furtherhis legal training. There he fell in love with adelicate thirteen-year-old girl, who died as hisbetrothed in 1797. Novalis was then auditor atthe Weissenfels salt works. He thought he wasa blighted being, but presently he went to Freiburgto continue technical studies and becameagain betrothed. He returned to Weissenfels in1799, but was obliged by disease of the lungs topostpone his marriage and died in 1801. Hiswritings were soon collected by the Sehlegels andissued in two volumes, often reëdited, with athird volume in 1846. They are mainlyfragmentary. Noteworthy among them is an unfinishedromance,Heinrich von Ofterdingen, themawkish Knight of the Blue Flower Poesy, whose‘apotheosis’ Novalis tells us he intended thenovel to be. Carlyle recommended its ‘persualand reperusal.’ Individual passages in it arecharming, and good lyrics are interspersed in thenarrative. Earlier in time thanOfterdingen is aromance,Die Lehrlinge zu Sais, wherein the‘Disciples’ discover that ‘the secret of Nature isnothing else than the fulfilled longing of a lovingheart.’ Famous also in their way are theHymnen an die Nacht, sentimentally morbidmusings on his quickly consoled bereavement,mingled with impressions of Young'sNightThoughts and Fichte's lectures at Jena. Someof the fragments are political and reveal anexaltation of patriotic idealism. Otherfragments deal with natural science in the samedreamy spirit. His religious lyrics have anemotional tenderness and a nebulous charm. Therest of his work is all but forgotten. Consult:Haym,Friedrich von Hardenberg (2d ed., Gotha,1883); id.,Die romantische Schule (Berlin,1870).
