author
H. (Heinrich) Clauren
1771–1854
A hugely popular German storyteller of the early 19th century, he wrote sentimental tales and plays that reached a wide reading public. Behind the pen name was a Prussian civil servant whose fame was strong enough to provoke parody and criticism from other writers of his time.
1 Audiobook
Des Vaters Sünde, der Mutter Fluch
by H. (Heinrich) Clauren
About the author
Born Carl Gottlieb Samuel Heun on March 20, 1771, in Dobrilugk, he became widely known under the pen name Heinrich Clauren. Alongside his literary work, he served in the Prussian civil service, building a career as a government official while writing in his spare time.
Clauren was one of the most widely read popular authors of his day. He was especially known for sentimental stories, domestic fiction, and light dramatic works that appealed to a broad middle-class audience in the Biedermeier era.
His success also brought backlash. Writers such as Wilhelm Hauff and Heinrich Heine mocked or attacked his style, but that criticism did little to erase his popularity. He died in Berlin on August 2, 1854.