Who is Baron Munchausen description. Baron Munchausen in life and literature

Karl Friedrich Munchausen (German: Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Freiherr von Münchhausen, May 11, 1720, Bodenwerder - February 22, 1797, ibid.) - German baron, descendant of the ancient Lower Saxon family of Munchausens, captain of the Russian service, historical figure And literary character. The name Munchausen has become a household name as a designation for a person who tells incredible stories.

Hieronymus Karl Friedrich was the fifth of eight children in the family of Colonel Otto von Munchausen. His father died when the boy was 4 years old, and he was raised by his mother. In 1735, 15-year-old Munchausen entered the service of the sovereign Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Ferdinand Albrecht II as a page.

In 1737, as a page, he went to Russia to visit the young Duke Anton Ulrich, the groom and then the husband of Princess Anna Leopoldovna. In 1738 he participated with the Duke in the Turkish campaign. In 1739 he entered the Brunswick Cuirassier Regiment with the rank of cornet, whose chief was the Duke. At the beginning of 1741, immediately after the overthrow of Biron and the appointment of Anna Leopoldovna as ruler and Duke Anton Ulrich as generalissimo, he received the rank of lieutenant and command of the life campaign (the first, elite company of the regiment).

The Elizabethan coup that took place in the same year, overthrowing the Brunswick family, interrupted what promised to be a brilliant career: despite the reputation of an exemplary officer, Munchausen received the next rank (captain) only in 1750, after numerous petitions. In 1744, he commanded the guard of honor that greeted the Tsarevich's bride, Princess Sophia-Friederike of Anhalt-Zerbst (the future Empress Catherine II), in Riga. In the same year he married the Riga noblewoman Jacobina von Dunten.

Having received the rank of captain, Munchausen takes a year’s leave “to correct extreme and necessary needs” (specifically, to divide the family estates with his brothers) and leaves for Bodenwerder, which he received during the division (1752). He extended his leave twice and finally submitted his resignation to the Military Collegium, with the assignment of the rank of lieutenant colonel for blameless service; received an answer that the petition should be submitted on the spot, but he never went to Russia, as a result of which in 1754 he was expelled as having left the service without permission, but until the end of his life he signed as a captain in the Russian service.

Turkish dagger that belonged to Hieronymus von Munhausen. Museum exposition in Bodenwerder.

From 1752 until his death, Munchausen lived in Bodenwerder, communicating mainly with his neighbors, to whom he told amazing stories about his hunting adventures and adventures in Russia. Such stories usually took place in a hunting pavilion built by Munchausen and hung with the heads of wild animals and known as the “pavilion of lies”; Another favorite place for Munchausen's stories was the inn of the King of Prussia Hotel in nearby Göttingen.

Bodenwerder

One of Munchausen’s listeners described his stories this way:
“He usually began to talk after dinner, lighting his huge meerschaum pipe with a short mouthpiece and placing a steaming glass of punch in front of him... He gesticulated more and more expressively, twisted his little smart wig on his head, his face became more and more animated and red, and he, usually very a truthful man, at these moments he wonderfully acted out his fantasies.”

The horse cannot get drunk, because during the assault
Ochakov's back half is lost.

The baron's stories (such subjects that undoubtedly belong to him as the entry into St. Petersburg on a wolf harnessed to a sleigh, a horse cut in half in Ochakovo, a horse in a bell tower, fur coats gone wild, or a cherry tree growing on a deer's head) spread widely throughout the surrounding area and even penetrated in print, but maintaining decent anonymity.

Museum exposition in Bodenwerder.

For the first time, three Munchausen plots appear in the book “Der Sonderling” by Count Rox Friedrich Lienar (1761). In 1781, a collection of such stories was published in the Berlin almanac “Guide for Merry People”, indicating that they belong to Mr. M-z-n, famous for his wit, living in G-re (Hanover); in 1783, two more stories of this kind were published in the same almanac.

But the saddest thing was ahead: at the beginning of 1786, the historian Erich Raspe, convicted of stealing a numismatic collection, fled to England and there, in order to get some money, he wrote a book in English that forever introduced the baron into the history of literature, “Baron Munchausen’s Stories about His wonderful travels and campaigns in Russia." Over the course of a year, “Stories” went through 4 reprints, and Raspe included the first illustrations in the third edition.

The Baron considered his name dishonored and was going to sue Burger (according to other sources, he filed, but was refused on the grounds that the book was a translation of an English anonymous publication). In addition, Raspe-Bürger’s work immediately gained such popularity that onlookers began to flock to Bodenwerder to look at the “liar baron,” and Munchausen had to station servants around the house to drive away the curious.

Munchausen's last years were overshadowed by family troubles. In 1790, his wife Jacobina died. 4 years later, Munchausen married 17-year-old Bernardine von Brun, who led an extremely wasteful and frivolous lifestyle and soon gave birth to a daughter, whom 75-year-old Munchausen did not recognize, considering the father of the clerk Huden. Munchausen started a scandalous and expensive divorce proceedings, as a result of which he went bankrupt and his wife fled abroad.

Now the city administration is located in the Munchausen house.
The burgomaster's office is located in the bedroom of the previous owner.

Before his death, he made his last characteristic joke: when asked by the only maid caring for him how he lost two toes (frostbitten in Russia), Munchausen replied: “they were bitten off by a polar bear while hunting.” Hieronymus Munchausen died on February 22, 1797, in poverty from an apoplexy, alone and abandoned by everyone. But he remained in literature and in our minds as a never despondent, cheerful person.

Bodenwerder

The first translation (more precisely, a free retelling) of the book about Munchausen into Russian belongs to the pen of N.P. Osipov and was published in 1791 under the title: “If you don’t like it, don’t listen, but don’t interfere with lying.” Literary Baron Munchausen became a well-known character in Russia thanks to K.I. Chukovsky, who adapted the book by E. Raspe for children. K. Chukovsky translated the Baron's surname from English “Munchausen” into Russian as “Munchausen”. On German it is written “Munchhausen” and is translated into Russian as “Munchhausen”.

The image of Baron Munchausen received the most significant development in Russian - Soviet cinema, in the film “That Same Munchausen”, where the scriptwriter G. Gorin gave the baron bright romantic character traits, while distorting some facts personal life Hieronymus von Munchausen.

In the cartoon "The Adventures of Munchausen" the Baron is endowed with classic features, bright and magnificent.

In 2005, Nagovo-Munchausen V.’s book “The Adventures of the Childhood and Youth of Baron Munchausen” (“Munchhausens Jugend-und Kindheitsabenteuer”) was published in Russia. The book became the first book in world literature about the childhood and youthful adventures of Baron Munchausen, from the birth of the baron to his departure to Russia.

The only portrait of Munchausen by G. Bruckner (1752), depicting him in the uniform of a cuirassier, was destroyed during the Second World War. Photographs of this portrait and descriptions give an idea of ​​Munchausen as a man of a strong and proportionate physique, with a round, regular face. The mother of Catherine II especially notes in her diary the “beauty” of the commander of the honor guard.

The visual image of Munchausen as a literary hero represents a dry old man with a dashingly curled mustache and a goatee. This image was created by the illustrations of Gustave Doré (1862). It is curious that, by giving his hero a beard, Doré (generally very accurate in historical details) allowed an obvious anachronism, since in the 18th century they did not wear beards.

However, it was during Doré's time that goatees were reintroduced into fashion by Napoleon III. This gives rise to the assumption that the famous “bust” of Munchausen, with the motto “Mendace veritas” (Latin: “Truth in lies”) and the image of three ducks on the “coat of arms” (cf. three bees on the Bonaparte coat of arms), had a political meaning that was understandable to contemporaries subtext of the caricature of the emperor.

And we have such a monument to Munchausen in Sochi near the Seaport.

Munchausen is a famous literary character of anecdotal stories about incredible adventures and fantastic travels. His name has long become a household name as a designation for a person who tells imaginary stories. But not everyone knows that these fables are based on real story: Munchausen really existed. Full name"King of Liars" Carl Friedrich Hieronymus Baron von Munchausen. He was born exactly 295 years ago, on May 11, 1720, not far from German city Hanover on the family estate, which now houses a museum dedicated to to the famous fellow countryman and part-time literary hero. Books have been written about Munchausen for more than two centuries, films and cartoons have been made, plays have been staged, and it’s even named after him. mental illness(when a person cannot reliably convey specific information). Karl owes such popularity not only to his amazing imagination, but also to his rare talent - never losing his presence of mind and finding a way out of even the most difficult situations.

“I went to Russia...”

Munchausen tells stories. Antique post card. Source: Commons.wikimedia.org

In Russia, next to the young Duke, Munchausen had opportunities brilliant career, since Empress Anna Ioannovna preferred to appoint “foreigners” to all high posts. Already in 1738, the German baron participated in the Turkish campaign, entered the rank of cornet in the prestigious Brunswick Cuirassier Regiment, then became a lieutenant and even took command of the first, elite company. But this was the end of the easy climb up the career ladder - the reason for this was the Elizabethan revolution. Youngest daughter Peter I believed that she had significantly more rights to the throne, and in 1741 arrested the entire reigning family. If Munchausen had still remained in Anton Ulrich's retinue, exile would have awaited him, but the baron was lucky - he continued military service. By this time, Karl had already managed to prove himself to be an honest officer who carefully performed all his duties, but he was not given the next rank, because he was related to the disgraced royal family. Only in 1750, after numerous petitions, was the last of those nominated for promotion to be appointed captain. The Baron understood that luck would no longer smile on him in Russia, and under the pretext of family matters he went on a year's vacation to his homeland with his young wife, the daughter of a Riga judge, a Baltic German Jacobean background Dunten. Then he extended his leave twice and was finally expelled from the regiment. With this, Munchausen’s “Russian odyssey” ended, the baron became an ordinary German landowner and led the life of an average-income landowner. All he could do was remember his service in Russia and talk about his adventures, which his listeners soon stopped believing in.

"King of Liars"

Bodenwerder, where the Munchausen family estate was located, at that time was a provincial town with a population of 1,200 inhabitants, with whom, moreover, the baron did not immediately have a good relationship. He communicated only with neighboring landowners, went hunting in the surrounding forests and occasionally visited neighboring towns. Over time, Karl acquired the offensive nicknames “liar baron”, “king of liars”, and “lies of the liar of all liars”, and all because he spoke, not without exaggeration, about his adventures in Russia, about the fierce Russian winter, about the fabulous hunting, about court dinners and holidays. In one of his memoirs, Munchausen described a giant pate served at the royal dinner: “When the lid was removed from it, a little man dressed in velvet came out and with a bow presented the text of the poem to the empress on a pillow.” One could doubt this fiction, but even historians talk about such dinners today, while Munchausen’s fellow countrymen saw only lies in these words.

Munchausen tells stories. Latvian stamp, 2005. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Karl was very witty and most often began his memoirs in response to the too incredible tales of hunters or fishermen about their outstanding “exploits.” One of Munchausen’s listeners described his stories this way: “... He gesticulated more and more expressively, twirled his little smart wig on his head with his hands, his face became more and more animated and red. And he, usually a very truthful person, at these moments wonderfully acted out his fantasies.” They loved to retell these fantasies, and soon the baron's stories became widely known. Once, in one of the Berlin humorous almanacs, several stories were published by “the very witty Mr. M-h-z-n, who lives near Hannover.” In 1785 the writer Rudolf Erich Raspe turned these stories into a solid work and published them in London under the title “Baron Munchausen’s Narrative of His Wonderful Travels and Campaigns in Russia.” Karl himself saw the book on next year when she came out German translation. The Baron was furious, because it indicated his person without any hint. While Munchausen tried in vain through the courts to punish everyone who discredited his good name, the book continued to enjoy fantastic popularity and was translated into different languages. Very soon the baron's life became unbearable, he became an object of ridicule. Karl was forced to place servants around the house so that they would drive away the curious who came to stare at the “king of liars.”

Monument to the Baron in Bodenwerder, Germany. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Wittkowsky

In addition to literary upheavals, at this time Munchausen was beset by family troubles: Jacobina died in 1790, and he married a 17-year-old woman for the second time. Bernardine von Brun, who after the wedding began to lead a too frivolous lifestyle. The baron did not want to become famous as a cuckold and started an expensive divorce process, which squeezed out not only the rest of the money, but also the strength of the 76-year-old German. As a result, in 1797, Charles died in complete poverty from an apoplexy. Before last days he remained true to himself, and before his death, answering the question of the only maid caring for him how he lost two toes (frostbitten in Russia), Munchausen said: “They were bitten off by a polar bear while hunting.”

Korney Chukovsky, who adapted Rudolf Raspe's book for children, translated the baron's surname from English "Münchausen" into Russian as "Munhausen".

Name: Baron Munchhausen

A country: Germany

Creator: Rudolf Erich Raspe

Activity: military

Family status: married

Baron Munchausen: character history

Biography German baron with a difficult-to-pronounce surname Munchausen, she is full of unprecedented adventures. A man flew to the moon, visited the stomach of a fish, fled from Turkish Sultan. And the main thing is that all this actually happened. This is what Baron Munchausen personally says. It is not surprising that the thoughts of an experienced traveler instantly turn into aphorisms.

History of creation

The author of the first stories about the adventures of Baron Munchausen is Baron Munchausen himself. Few people know that the nobleman actually existed. Karl Friedrich was born into the family of Colonel Otto von Munchausen. At the age of 15, the young man went to military service, and after retiring, he spent his evenings telling tales:

“He usually began his story after dinner, lighting a huge meerschaum pipe with a short stem and placing a steaming glass of punch in front of him.”

The man was collecting own home neighbors and friends, sat down in front of a blazing fireplace and acted out scenes from the adventures he had experienced. Sometimes the baron added small details to plausible stories to interest listeners.

Later, a couple of such tales were published anonymously in the collections “Der Sonderling” (“The Fool”) and “Vademecum fur lustige Leute” (“Guide to Merry People”). The stories are signed with Munchausen's initials, but the man did not confirm his own authorship. Glory Among local residents grew up. Now the King of Prussia Hotel has become a favorite place for conversations with listeners. It was there that the writer Rudolf Erich Raspe heard the stories of the cheerful baron.

In 1786, the book “Baron Munchausen’s Narrative of His Wonderful Travels and Campaigns in Russia” was published. To add spice, Raspe inserted more nonsense into the baron's original stories. The work was published in English.

In the same year, Gottfried Bürger - a German translator - published his version of the baron's exploits, adding more satire to the translated narrative. the main idea books have changed dramatically. Now the adventures of Munchausen have ceased to be just fables, but have acquired a bright satirical and political connotation.

Although Burger's creation " Amazing travel Baron von Munchausen on water and on land, hikes and fun adventures, as he usually talked about them over a bottle of wine with his friends” came out anonymously, real baron guessed who glorified his name:

“University Professor Burger disgraced me throughout Europe.”

Biography

Baron Munchausen grew up in a large, titled family. Almost nothing is known about the man’s parents. The mother was involved in raising her offspring, the father had a tall military rank. As a youth, the baron left native home and went in search of adventure.

The young man took on the duties of a page under the German Duke. As part of the retinue of an eminent nobleman, Friedrich ended up in Russia. Already on the way to St. Petersburg, all sorts of troubles awaited the young man.

The baron's winter trip dragged on; night was already approaching. Everything was covered with snow and there were no villages nearby. The young man tied his horse to a tree stump, and in the morning he found himself in the middle of the city square. The horse was hanging, tied to the cross of the local church. However, troubles regularly happened to the baron's faithful horse.

Having served under Russian courtyard, an attractive nobleman went to the Russo-Turkish War. To find out about the enemy's plans and count the cannons, the baron made the famous flight riding on a cannonball. The shell turned out to be not the most convenient means of transportation and fell along with the hero into the swamp. The Baron was not used to waiting for help, so he pulled himself out by the hair.

“Lord, how tired I am of you! Understand that Munchausen is famous not because he flew or didn’t fly, but because he didn’t lie.”

The fearless Munghausen fought the enemies sparing no effort, but was still captured. The imprisonment did not last long. After his release, the man went on a trip around the world. The hero visited India, Italy, America and England.

In Lithuania, the baron met a girl named Jacobina. The charmer charmed good soldier. The young people got married and returned to Munchausen’s homeland. Now the man spends free time on his own estate, devoting a lot of time to hunting and sitting by the burning fireplace, and gladly tells those who wish to about his antics.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Often funny situations happen to a man while hunting. The Baron does not spend time preparing for the campaign, so he regularly forgets to replenish his supply of bullets. One day the hero went to a pond inhabited by ducks, and the weapon was unsuitable for shooting. The hero caught the birds with a piece of lard and tied the game to each other. When the ducks soared into the sky, they easily lifted the baron and carried the man home.

While traveling around Russia, the baron saw a strange beast. While hunting in the forest, Munchausen came across an eight-legged hare. The hero chased the animal around the neighborhood for three days until he shot the animal. The hare had four legs on his back and stomach, so he did not get tired for a long time. The animal simply rolled over onto its other paws and continued running.

The baron's friends know that Munchausen visited all corners of the Earth and even visited the planet's satellite. The flight to the moon took place during Turkish captivity. Accidentally throwing a hatchet onto the surface of the Moon, the hero climbed a stalk of chickpeas and found it lost in a haystack. It was more difficult to go back down - the pea stalk withered in the sun. But the dangerous feat is over another victory Baron.

Before returning home, the man was attacked by a bear. Munchausen squeezed the clubfoot with his hands and kept the animal for three days. The man's steel hug caused his paws to break. The bear died of hunger because he had nothing to suck. From this moment on, all local bears avoid the harrow.

Munchausen was followed everywhere incredible adventures. Moreover, the hero himself perfectly understood the reason for this phenomenon:

“It’s not my fault if such wonders happen to me that have never happened to anyone else. This is because I love to travel and am always looking for adventure, while you sit at home and see nothing but the four walls of your room.”

Film adaptations

The first film about the adventures of the fearless baron was released in France in 1911. The painting, entitled “Hallucinations of Baron Munchausen,” lasts 10.5 minutes.

Because of his originality and colorfulness, the character was liked by Soviet filmmakers and animators. Four cartoons about the baron were released, but the 1973 series won great love among viewers. The cartoon consists of 5 episodes, which are based on the book by Rudolf Raspe. Quotes from the animated series are still in use.

In 1979, the film “That Same Munchausen” was released. The film tells the story of the baron's divorce from his first wife and his attempts to tie the knot with his longtime lover. The main characters differ from the book prototypes; the film is a free interpretation of the original work. The image of the baron was brought to life by an actor, and his beloved Martha was played by an actress.

Films about the exploits of a military man, traveler, hunter and moon conqueror were also filmed in Germany, Czechoslovakia and Great Britain. For example, in 2012 the two-part film “Baron Munchausen” was released. The main role went to actor Jan Josef Liefers.

• Munchausen means “house of the monk” in German.
• In the book, the hero is presented as a dry, unattractive old man, but in his youth Munchausen had impressive appearance. The mother of Catherine the Second mentioned the charming baron in her personal diary.
• The real Munchausen died in poverty. The fame that overtook the man thanks to the book did not help the baron in his personal life. The nobleman's second wife squandered the family fortune.

Quotes and aphorisms from the film “That Same Munchausen”

“After the wedding, we immediately went on a honeymoon: I went to Turkey, my wife went to Switzerland. And they lived there for three years in love and harmony.”

“I understand what your problem is. You are too serious. All the stupid things on earth are done with this facial expression... Smile, gentlemen, smile!”

“All love is legitimate if it is love!”

“A year ago, in these very regions, can you imagine, I met a deer. I raise my gun - it turns out there are no cartridges. There is nothing but cherries. I load my gun with a cherry pit, ugh! - I shoot and hit the deer in the forehead. He runs away. And this spring, in these very regions, imagine, I meet my handsome deer, on whose head a luxurious cherry tree grows.”

“Are you waiting for me, dear? Sorry... Newton delayed me."