Adolph von Knigge and Human Relations.
On May 6 1796 passed away. In Germany Knigge is best remembered for his book '(a treatise on the fundamental principles of human relations that has the reputation of being the authoritative guide to behaviour, politeness and etiquette. Knigge grew up to a nobel, but poor family and when his parents passed away in early age, he inherited their debts and was sent to Hannover in order to continue his studies. Knigge enrolled at the University of Göttingen in order to study law in 1769 Afterwards, he was appointed member of the court and assessor of the chamber of warfare of the city of Kassel. In later years, he changed the position and was appointed chamberlain in the city of Weimar However, his interest in writing increased as much as his contempt for life on court. He moved to Frankfurt to devote most of his lifetime to literature. In his later life in Bremen he became known as a supporter of the local culture scene, especially theater. In 1788 the very first edition of his book 'which is today simply known as 'was published. Further editions appeared in the following years and Knigge faced an instant success with his work and after his death, numerous editions followed with the introduction of behavior rules. The modern 'we know today was born. Now, we associate 'with good manners and behavior even though this is not, what the author intended. According to Knigge the book gives an introduction to the social interactions influenced by the ideals of the enlightenment. Furthermore, the author discusses sociological and social-psychological topics. Knigge also gives insights into his historical, literary, and journalistic knowledge. The work consists of three major parts. In the first section, Knigge gives an introduction to human relations and he explains how a person interacts with others concerning their different natures and tempers. In the next part he describes these aspects concerning a person's family followed by a description of a person's interaction with animals. The book was translated into the English language and published in 1805 titled 'In later years, Knigge's work was increasingly mistaken as a guide to behavior and politeness. After Knigge's the publisher expanded the original work with behavior rules, which even strengthened the 'error'. At yovisto, you may be interested in a video lecture on the Age of Enlightenment. Professor Dustin Champion discusses, why the ideas of the period still matter today.