Storm, THEODOR WOLDSEN

Storm, THEODOR WOLDSEN, German poet and writer of short stories; a native of Sleswick, he was born at Husum on 14th September 1817. He spent most of his life (1842–80) as magistrate and judge in the service of Sleswick-Holstein and Prussia, and died at Hademarschen in Holstein on 3d July 1888. His poetic reputation rests upon his Gedichte (1852; 8th ed. 1890). Of his stories, mostly short, the best are Inmensee (1852; 33d ed. 1890), a poetic idyll in prose; Zerstreute Kapitel (1873); Aquis Submersus (1877); Psyche (1877); Carsten Curator (1878); Hans und Heinz Kirsch (1883); John Riew (1886); and Der Schimmelreiter (1888). The charm of these little tales lies in the poetic and idyllic atmosphere in which the action is placed, the unobtrusive skill with which they are told, and their deep feeling. See Lives of Storm by Schütze (1887) and Wehl (1888).