HENRICH HUDEMANN (ca. 1595–1628) – HOLSTEINS HORAZ

Abstract The poet Henrich Hudemann (c. 1595 - 1628) from Holstein achieved lasting fame through his innovative contributions to German poetry of the Early Baroque period. They have earned him a place in the manuals of literary history, where his work is considered an important stage in the emergence of a refined vernacular poetry. However, like many of his contemporaries, Hudemann also left an oeuvre of sophisticated Latin poems, inspired mainly by Horace’s lyric poetry. The present paper investigates Hudemann’s artistic as well as his more practical aims. By using the poetic forms of classical antiquity for the expression of his religious beliefs, Hudemann created a remarkable specimen of Christian humanism through which he hoped to gain access to the leading intellectual figures of Europe, especially Daniel Heinsius.