Wilhelm Ruland

Born in Bonn in 1869 and later dying in Munich in 1927, Wilhelm Ruland was a German writer who studied literary history and modern languages. He completed a doctorate at the University of Rostock in 1896, then worked in several roles including private tutor and, for a time, tutor to princes.

Ruland also worked in publishing as an editor and publishing director in Leipzig from 1898 to 1902. Sources on his life note that he traveled widely in the years that followed, and his writing ranged from literary study to retellings of folklore.

Today he is most closely associated with books such as Rheinisches Sagenbuch and Legends of the Rhine, which helped preserve and popularize Rhine legends for later readers. A clear portrait photo could not be confirmed from the sources reviewed, so no profile image is included.