Talk:E. T. A. Hoffmann

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Contents 1 Needs translation 2 Inventing names for Jews 3 Spelling 4 Trivial Detail 5 Still needs editing 6 Move Request

[edit] Needs translation

This needs to be recast completely in English. This isn't the bilingual German/English Wikipedia. Also the book titles: "His father was an Advokat and E.T.A. studied at the Gymnasium in Koenigsberg. He then worked as a Referendar in Glogau Silesia and in Berlin in Brandenburg and next in Posen? "

Ow, you're right -- if user:H.J. doesn't fix, I'll check in and see what I can do. JHK

In fact, this needs to be recast completely once again, taking advantage of the much more thorough account in German Wikipedia. --Wetman 21:43, 2 August 2005 (UTC)

Brilliant improvement! Everyone is to be congratulated, but above all User:Satyrdey. --Wetman 05:41, 7 August 2006 (UTC) --usually suspicious and crabby.

Thank you very much User:Wetman. My apologies for being so slow about continuing the data entry. I've been rather busy with other things of late, but I will get back to it in the near future. — Satyrdey 17:09, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I am going to translate the whole of the German entry. I'd suggest placing Satyrdey's list of works into its own article, e.g. List of works by E. T. A. Hoffmann. Xanthoxyl 23:49, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Inventing names for Jews

One of his tasks was to invent names for Jews. He found some poetic ones like Goldbaum or Apfelbaum. Anything is possible. Still, this has a suspicious ring to it— or is it just me? User:Cautious who contributed this is substituting politically-correct modern Polish names for the historically eastern German provinces where E.T.A. Hoffmann is said to have been working. Could this inventing names tidbit be substantiated by a quote from Hoffmann? or is it more like "Legend has it that...?" Wetman 12:18, 27 Jan 2004 (UTC)

It's quite possible since he worked for the German administration. Indeed, Jews from the territories taken over by Prussia after the partitions of Poland were given family names at that time because they didn't use them before. Gdabski 18:45, 2 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Spelling

If there any justification for using Hoffmann instead of the more usual Hoffman?

I, with what little I know, can tell you that this is how Baudelaire refers to his in "Paradis Artificiels." It's his name.

also, you people are crazy. what makes you think that wiki will work?

democracy may be the least bad principle for politics, but why do you think it's a good way to establish truth? (and this is, after all, the only point of an encyclopedia)

What makes you think that establishing truth is the point of an encyclopedia? If it were, do you think Wikipedia would have a rule about "no original research"? — Satyrdey 17:05, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Trivial Detail

Just wondering - why in the world is this detail about a friend getting drunk by Hoffmann's gravesite included? I find it entirely irrelevant, as it tells precisely nothing about his ideas/work/life etc. I believe it would make sense to eliminate this line entirely, especially as it is only 'reportedly'. Unless of course someone wants to add an analysis of the significance? 85.212.30.87 11:15, 4 December 2005 (UTC)Kim

[edit] Still needs editing

I subdivided this article into smaller sections, split up excessively long paragraphs, and moved around whole sentences. I am not satisfied with what I've accomplished: the new sections Work and Assessment are still entangled.

The section Work should contain a brief, spare description of stories and music written by Hoffmann, with no evaluation of how good each might be.

All praise of his works, and description of how his works have influenced other writers and composers belongs in the section Assessment.

Please someone have at it.

Tom Lougheed

[edit] Move Request

It was requested that this article be renamed but the procedure outlined at WP:RM#How to request a page move did not appear to be followed, and consensus could not be determined. Please request a move again with proper procedure if there is still a desire for the page to be moved. Thank you for your time! -- tariqabjotu 23:42, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

Does anyone recall what the name was that was improperly requested? Did it involve anything more that adding spaces between the initials? Do we want to reinitiate the process? -- Satyrdey 17:03, 27 October 2006 (UTC)