ZSCHOKKE, chȯk'kė, Johann Heinrich
Daniel, Swiss author: b. Magdeburg, Germany, 22 March 1771; d. Blumenhalde, near Aarau, 27 June 1848. He left his native place in 1788, and for some time wandered about the country as play-writer to a strolling company of actors, but afterward studied at the University of Frankfort-on-the-Oder. In 1792 he began life there as a private teacher, and produced several pieces for the stage. He subsequently settled down in the canton of the
Grisons and became director of an academy at
Reichenau, where he wrote a history of the
Grisons (1798). He then became head of the
department of public instruction at Aarau, and
was soon afterward sent by the Helvetic
executive directory to Unterwalden as government
commissioner, for the purpose of restoring
tranquility. He acquitted himself so satisfactorily
that his powers as commissioner were extended
to the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Zug. In
1800 he was appointed commissioner for the
organization of the Italian territories of
Switzerland. In 1804 he became a member of the
board of mines and forests, and in the same
year began the issue of his highly popular
Schweizerbote (Swiss Messenger). Through
the greater part of his life Zschokke appeared
as one of the most distinguished and energetic
public men in Switzerland, but he found time
to cultivate his favorite literary pursuits, and
it is chiefly by his numerous writings, historical
and fictitious, that he is known to the world
at large. Among his works may be mentioned
‘Ueberlieferungen zur Geschichte unserer Zeit’
(1811-27) (Contributions to the History of Our
Time); ‘Des Schweizerlandes Geschichte für
das Schweizervolk’ (1822) (History of
Switzerland for the Swiss People), one of the
best of his works, and ‘Bilder aus der Schweiz’
(1824-26) (Pictures from Switzerland). As
a writer of tales he possesses a European
reputation, and among them we may refer more
especially to ‘The Creole,’ ‘Alamontade,’
‘Jonathan Frock,’ ‘Clementine,’ ‘Oswald or
the Goldmakers' Village’ and ‘Master Jordan.’
The work, however, which has had the most
extended circulation was his ‘Stunden der
Andacht’ (Hours of Devotion) (1809-16; 27
editions in his lifetime), which, though rationalistic, has yet, from the pious feeling pervading it, found admirers among all classes of readers. Editions of his works were published (40 vols., 1824-28; 35 vols., 1851-54), and an edition of his ‘Novellen’ (12 vols., 1904). Consult the studies by Münch (1831); Keller, ‘Beiträge zur Politische, Thätigkeit Zschokkes’ (1887), and Wernly (1894).