author
H. (Heinrich) Clauren
1771–1854
Best known by the pen name H. Clauren, this once wildly popular German writer mixed sentiment, romance, and melodrama in stories that reached a huge 19th-century audience. His fame was so great that later authors mocked and argued with his style—helping keep his name in literary history.
1 Audiobook
Des Vaters Sünde, der Mutter Fluch
by H. (Heinrich) Clauren
About the author
Born Carl Gottlieb Samuel Heun in Dobrilugk, Lusatia, on March 20, 1771, he wrote under the pseudonym Heinrich Clauren, often shortened to H. Clauren. Alongside his literary work, he served in the Prussian civil service and spent many years in Berlin.
Clauren became a highly successful author of novels, tales, and plays, admired in his own time for emotional, accessible storytelling. One of his best-known works is Mimili, and his popularity was strong enough that his style became a target for parody in the 1820s, especially in the famous dispute surrounding Wilhelm Hauff.
Although he is less widely read today than he was during his lifetime, Clauren remains an interesting figure in German literary history: a writer who captured popular taste, stirred strong reactions, and left a clear mark on the reading culture of his era. He died in Berlin on August 2, 1854.