author
C. F. van der (Carl Franz) Velde
1779–1824
Known for popular historical novels in the early 19th century, this German writer also worked in the law, bringing a practical eye to stories filled with drama, conflict, and the past. His books were widely read in his lifetime and later reached English-speaking readers through translated collections.
3 Audiobooks
Tales from the German. Volume I.
by C. F. van der (Carl Franz) Velde
Specimens of German Romance; Vol. I. The Patricians
by C. F. van der (Carl Franz) Velde
Tales from the German. Volume II.
by C. F. van der (Carl Franz) Velde
About the author
Born in Breslau on September 27, 1779, into a family of Huguenot background, Carl Franz van der Velde studied law and went on to work as a city judge. Alongside that legal career, he built a reputation as a novelist, especially for historical fiction.
Van der Velde became known for writing lively, accessible novels that helped make historical themes popular with a broad reading public. English-language readers encountered some of his work through Tales from the German, and library and literary records also note the lasting circulation of works such as Arwed Gyllenstierna, The Sorceress, and The Anabaptist.
He died in Breslau on April 6, 1824. Though he is less famous today than some of his contemporaries, he remains a notable figure in the early development of the historical novel in German literature.