Johann Gottfried Herder — Age, Birthday & Biography
Born: 25 August 1744 · Died: 18 December 1803 · Age at death: 59
How old was Johann Gottfried Herder when he died?
Johann Gottfried Herder died aged 59. He was born on 25 August 1744 and died on 18 December 1803.
German philosopher and poet who influenced the Romantic movement
Did you know?He is credited with developing the concept of the "Volksgeist", which refers to the unique spirit and character of a nation.
Quick facts
Date of birth25 August 1744
Date of death18 December 1803
Age at death59
NationalityGerman
BirthplaceMorąg, Poland
Occupationphilosopher, theologian, poet
Editor's Take:
Johann Gottfried Herder taught Europe to value the songs and stories of ordinary people. He argued that every language holds a unique way of seeing the world. He believed no culture should be ranked above another. Those ideas fed Romanticism and the study of folklore. They also shaped modern anthropology. Nationalist movements later used his thought in ways he did not intend. He himself opposed empire and the conquest of other peoples. He remains surprisingly modern.
Key Milestones
1770: Meets Goethe in Strasbourg
1772: Publishes his essay on the origin of language
1776: Moves to Weimar
1784: Begins his Ideas on the Philosophy of History
Johann Gottfried von Herder ( HUR-dər; German:; 25 August 1744 – 18 December 1803) was a German philosopher, theologian, pastor, poet, and literary critic. Herder is associated with the Age of Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, and Weimar Classicism.
Johann Gottfried Herder was born in Morąg on 25 August 1744.
He argued that each people has its own language and culture.
He collected folk songs from across Europe.
He influenced the young Goethe in Strasbourg.
Career highlights
1764Riga: teacher and preacher
1770Strasbourg: meets Goethe
1772Origin of Language: prize essay
1776Weimar: church post
1784Ideas: philosophy of history
Did you know?He helped popularise the word 'Volkslied', meaning folk song.
Age at death
59
Years since death
222
Family
Father
Gottfried Herder
Mother
Anna Elisabeth Herder
Spouse
Caroline Herder
Children
Carl Adelbert von Herder, Emil Gottfried von Herder, Gottfried von Herder, Luise Stichling, Rinaldo von Herder, Siegmund August Wolfgang von Herder, Wilhelm Herder
Johann Gottfried Herder's birthday is August 25. He was born on August 25, 1744 in Morąg, Poland.
How old was Johann Gottfried Herder when he died?
Johann Gottfried Herder died on December 18, 1803, aged 59.
Who shares a birthday with Johann Gottfried Herder?
Famous people who share Johann Gottfried Herder's August 25 birthday include Sean Connery, Ivan the Terrible, Erich Honecker, Tim Burton and Võ Nguyên Giáp.
