Stender worked as a
pastor, in his youth - in Jelgava, later in Königsluther and possibly in
Copenhagen, where he also worked as a teacher. Stender was interested in the
latest trends and achievements in literary and scientific development, wrote
for German periodicals published in the Baltics and Western Europe, published
books in the Baltics and Western Europe in German, Latin and Latvian. In his
later years, he became fascinated with alchemy and there is the remaining manuscript
on Clavis
magiae. Die geheime Naturweisheit ("Secret Wisdom of Nature", 1794) complemented by an alchemy
dictionary.
1753: the first
publication – “Peaceful Weather after the Danger of Thunder”, the translation of
German author Bartold Heinrich Brockes’ work Die auf ein starkes Ungewitter erfolgte
Stille into Latvian printed
in Königsberg.
Stender was writing poetry that was philosophically religious, didactic,
entertaining, sincerely sentimental, in German and in Latvian, literally and
freely translated, paraphrased and varied, dedicated to Courland court people, both
Germans and Latvians, and to his relatives. The first edition of the last poem
comes out already after the author's death in 1797 - "The Drinker",
published in "Latvian Year Book", Issue 1.("Latviskās Gada Grāmatas" )
Literary activity
Prose1756: "Sacred Stories", hereinafter called "The Little Bible. That is: Sacred Stories" (1790, 1882: Ed. 6). 52 Old Testament and 52 New Testament stories complemented by brief questions and a didactic poem are briefly set out. The publication was inspired by the work of German educator Johann Hübner
- Zweymal zwey und funffzig Auserlesene Biblische Historien, der Jugend zum Besten abgefasset (1714). Novelty - the first book of faith teaching in Latvian. The genre is continued by a collection of Bible stories, catechism, spiritual songs and a prayer book "The Christian Teaching Book for the Latvians about the Sacred Interpretation" (1776). This book was revised by Alexander Johann Stender and this edition experienced several re-prints (1807, 1841, 1850).
1766:
Fabeln und Erzählungen / "Fables and stories", supplemented edition "Fairy Tales and Stories" (1789), the book contains fables, joke tales and everyday stories written in poetry and prose, most of the stories borrowed from German sources. Novelty - the first book of fiction in Latvian.
PoetryG.F. Stender enters Latvian poetry with the translation of B.H.Brokes' ode (1753), which was followed mainly by the translations of German-language spiritual songs and secular poetry, incl. odes, fables and songs. These translations were published both in periodicals (calendars), in hymnals, and in various Stenders' non-fictional works (grammar book, popular science book "The Book of High Wisdom, etc.").
1754: "Kurzeme's new and complete hymnal" – Stender was one of the compilers, poet, editor, illustrator.
1774: " New ziņģes/songs with lovely tunes for jovial entertainment", supplemented edition -" Jolly ziņģes " (1-2, 1783-89), includes translations of the 18th century German poets (Chr. F. Gellert, J. W. L. Gleim, von Hagedorn, etc.), and possibly also Stender's own writings on countryside life, love, schooling, social class relationships, etc. written in a rustically didactic manner. Novelty - the first collection of Latvian secular poetry, in the 19th century several zinģes/ popular songs have folklorized.
1774: "The Book of Holy Wisdom", a compilation of spiritual texts, including the translation of Johann Caspar Lavater’s work
Christliches Handbüchlein, oder auslesene Stellen der heiligen Schrift (Christian Handbook or selected passages from the Holy Scriptures, 1767), as well as Carl Wilhelm Ramler's and Carl Heinrich Graun'scantata Der Tod Jesu (The Death of Jesus, 1755).
1781: "New Year's Wishes for Everyone" - The first collection of greeting poems in Latvian.
1781:
Katechismus in Versen(“Catechism written in rhythmical prose"), as Stender himself stated in the title, is for rural youth. It also contains instructions for daily life in 56 four-line verses, which Stender translated as "The Path to a Righteous Living" in Latvian. The collection is also published in Latin
Catechismus melicus Latinis christianorum scholis dictatus (1782).
1783: "A New Hymnal with commnets" (II d.1792) – the hymnal infused with rationalism, arranged and translated by Stender.
1787:
An seine Kinder und Enkel, bei der nahen Trennung von seiner Tochter "For my children and grandchildren on the occasion of the upcoming separation from my daughter" - an ode which Stender translated into Latvian "The High Song for the children and grandchildren" and published in the poetry collection of 1789.
1789: " Elisa’s twelve sacred songs, translated into Latvian" - the collection contains the spiritual poetry of Courland landlady Elisa von der Recke, Stender translated all the texts of XII.von Elisens geistlichen Liedern beym Clavier zu singen (1787) edition. The book, like its German edition, is dedicated to the Duchess of Courland, Dorothea. Novelty: the first rendition of the Baltic German poetry collection into Latvian.
Linguistics
1761: Neue vollständigere lettische Grammatik ("Jauna pilnīgāka latviešu gramatika"), pievienota vārdnīca un daži dzejoļi. 1763 atkārtots izdevums;1783
Lettische Grammatik ("Latviešu gramatika") - paplašināts un papildināts izdevums, vārdnīcas nav, dzejas nodaļai cits saturs. Grāmatā Stenders atklāj savu viedokli par latviešu valodas izcelšanos un radu valodām, tajā ietverta nodaļa par poēziju, tajā raksturotas latviešu tautasdziesmas kā latviešu dzejas mākslas sākotne; grāmatā publicēts latviešu mitoloģisko dievību saraksts un sakāmvārdi, kā arī divi dzejoļi - Stendera mēģinājumi dzejot tautasdziesmu garā. Grāmata tulkota un publicēta latviski (2015).
1789:
Lettisches Lexikon. In zween Theilen abgefasset und den Liebhabern der lettischen Literatur gewidmet ("Latviešu leksikons. Izveidots divās daļās un veltīts latviešu literatūras cienītājiem", otrais izdevums 1790). Pirmajā - latviešu vācu daļā - pēc ligzdu sistēmas apkopoti 7000 vārdi, otrajā - vācu latviešu daļā - apmēram 14.000 vārdu. Novitāte: pirmoreiz pievienoti arī ģeogrāfisko vietu, personvārdu, augu, dzīvnieku utml. vācu-latviešu nosaukumu saraksti, populārākā 18.gadsimta latviešu valodas vārdnīca, plaši izmantota (Rainis, Brīvzemnieks u.c.) un pētīta (A.Bīlenšteins, J.Endzelīns).
Religious philosophical literature
1771:
Gedanken über die Lavaterische Aussichten in die Ewigkeit ("Thoughts on Lavater's view of eternity") - an anonymously published theological polemics in letters with the Swiss poet and physiognomist Johann Caspar Lavater’s work
Aussichten in die Ewigkeit (1 – 4, 1768-1778). The publication of Stender's work was followed by an exchange of letters between Lavater and Stender.
1772:
Wahrheit der Religion wider den Unglauben der Freigeister und Naturalisten ("The Truth of Religion against the Infidelity of Free-thinkers and Naturalists", 1772, reprint in 1784) is Stender's main religious philosophical essay. Its first draft was written in Copenhagen (1765), the manuscript is kept in the library of the University of Göttingen. The work was published twice in Russian (1785, 1820), and it explored issues of world cognition, free thinking, and spiritual growth. It resonates with the Enlightenment theological rationalist and Freemasonry ideas and was referred to in Rosicrucian works and is included in the German Freemasonry bibliographic index, and has also aroused interest among Russian freemasonry circles. The book polemizes ideas of free thinking, and reveals Stender's reflections on the potential for spiritual growth in "The Book of Sacred Wisdom" (1774), "The Christian Teaching Book is written for the Latvians for sacred interpretation" (1776), "Katechismus in Versen", (Catechism in Verses, 1781), "New Year's Wishes for Everybody" (1782), "Gedanken eines Greises uber den nahen Zustand jenseit des Grabes" (The old man's thoughts on the approaching afterlife”, 1786), "The aid for the schoolmasters that with this the new ABC they can easily teach schoolchildren to read"(1797).
1784:
Mosaische Kosmogonie (Moses Cosmogony) - publication in
Mitauische Monatschrift, No. 4 on the Origin of the World – the Old Testament in the context of natural science ideas of Enlightenment.
1786:
Gedanken eines Greises über den nahen Zustand jenseit des Grabes , (“The old man's thoughts on the approaching afterlife”), in
1795 Stender publishes an addendum to this work
Philosophische Gedanken über wichtige Gegenstände, als Beilagen. ( “Philosophical thoughts on important notions, an appendix”). A year later, Stenders returns to these ideas and adds the ode
Der erhabene Lobgesang Gottes zur allgemeinen Gottesverehrung als eine Beilage zu den philosophischen Gedanken ("A song of glorification of God for praise of God as a supplement to philosophical thought "), in fact, a free translation of the song
Herr Gott. dich loben wir (Lord, we praise you).
1786-1787: Discussion with Jelgava Academia Petrina professor Johann Melchior Gottlieb Beseke on God and the divine manifestations in nature
Anmerkungen über die Offenbarung Gottes in der Natur un
Anmerkungen über die Gegenarmenkungen des Verfassers Der Offenbarung Gottes in der Natur.
Science
1764:
Der Schulzische Vorschlag die Meereslänge zu finden /Schulzianum inveniendi maris longitudinem (On Schulz's proposal for the measurement of sea distances) – in collaboration with inventor Johann Heinrich Schulz – the description of a new instrument for measuring distances on water, title and text in Latin and German with Stender’s drawings.
1765:
Beschreibung der neuen höchstbequemen Waschmaschine ("Description of the new extremely comfortable washing machine") published almost simultaneously in a separate booklet in Jelgava and Königsberg, in
Gelehrte und politische Zeitungen (1765, St.56), soon reviewed in the Braunschweig newspapers and re-published in
Berlinisches Magazin in Berlin (1766, Bd.3, St.3, S.268-275). Novelty: the first description of mechanical laundry in a German-speaking space.
1766:
Beschreibung der neuen Erdkugel ("Description of the New Globe"), similar publication as early as November 14, 1759. in the newspaper
Braunschweigische Anzeigen ("Braunschweig News"). Stender put his theoretical knowledge into practice, making several globes, two of which have survived: the globes for the King of Denmark and the Royal Library are today in the Royal Library in Copenhagen.
Textbooks
1774: "The Book of High Wisdom from the
World and Nature", reprinted in 1776, with supplemented edition in 1796. The
latter was edited by Alexander Johann Stender. It is an encyclopedic
publication on the geography and history of the world, on astronomy and
physical processes, on natural phenomena, and on the measurement of time targeting
readers with poor background knowledge. The presentation of ideas employs
methods of Enlightenment pedagogy, possibly drawing on Stender’s experience of
a geography teacher acquired in Copenhagen. Thanks to its transparent structure
and easy-to-read content, the book is also believed to have been read by Baltic
German youth and is one of the most frequently cited editions among Latvian
first-generation intelligence (Ansis Leitāns, Ernests Dinsbergs, etc.). The
cover of the second edition, engraved by Gustav George Ender - a teacher
showing to the boy the rising sun - has become a symbol of the Latvian
Enlightenment.
1782:
"A New ABC and reading aid". The ABC is complemented by "A
Roadmap to Righteous Living"; part two of the book provides methodological
guidance for teachers in reading literacy. In 1797 each part is published again
separately. Novelty - the first methodical aid in Latvian.
1787: "Picture ABC" - Each letter of
the alphabet has its own illustration, prepared on the basis of Stender’s drawings,
and an instructive poem. Novelty - the first illustrated alphabet in Latvian.
Reception
2019: Björn Spiekermann:
"So ist oftmals Vernunft wider Vernunft". Gotthard Friedrich
Stenders Verteidigung der christlichen Religion im Horizont der deutschen Spätaufklärung. Baltisch-deutsche
Kulturbeziehungen vom 16. bis 19. Jahrhundert. Medien-Institutionen-Akteure.
Bd.II Zwischen Aufklärung und nationalen Erwachen. Heidelberg:
Universitätverlag Winter, S.155-199.