KARL WILHELM

RAMLER (1725–1798)  , German poet, was born at Kolberg on the 25th of February 1725 . After completing his studies in Halle, he went to Berlin, where, in 1748, he was appointed professor of logic and literature at the cadet school . In 1786 he became associated with the author, Johann Jakob Engel, in the management of the royal theatre, of which, after resigning his professorship, he became (1790-96) sole director . He died at Berlin on the 11th of April 1798 . Ramler was a skilful but cold and uninspired versifier; and the reputation he enjoys as poet and critic is mainly due to his skill in imitating and reproducing in German, classical (mostly Horatian) metrical forms; and he had a reputation, not unfounded, of correcting his friends' writings out of recognition . His Tod Jesu, a cantata, is well known owing to its musical setting by Karl Heinrich Graun . Ramler published Geistliche Cantaten (176o) and Oden (1767) . A collection of his works was published by L . F . G. von Gockingk (2 vols., 1800-18o1) . See also Heinsius, Versuch einer biographischen Skizze Ramlers (1798); and K . Schiiddekopf, Karl Wilhelm Ramler, Ns zu seiner Verbindung mit Lessing (1886) .