Cornelius, Carl Joseph Gerhard
Cornelius, Carl Joseph Gerhard
Actor
born: 15.06.1793 in Düsseldorf
died: 11.10.1843 in Wiesbaden
Cornelius, son of the engraver and actor Ignaz Cornelius (1764-1806) and father of the writer Auguste Cornelius (1841-1890) and the composer Peter Cornelius (1824-1874), turned to acting at an early age and first played with the Schirmersche Gesellschaft on the Lower Rhine. From 1813-17 he had engagements in Aachen, Aschaffenburg and Würzburg.
In 1819, Duke Wilhelm zu Nassau concluded a "union" between the Wiesbaden theater and the Mainz theater, which obliged the latter's ensemble to give permanent guest performances in Wiesbaden. This "Mainz-Wiesbaden Theater Union" existed for around 20 years until the end of his reign. Cornelius worked at this united Mainz-Wiesbaden theater from 1819 and lived in Wiesbaden in the winter. From 1826-29 he was engaged at the theater in Darmstadt, then again in Mainz.
In 1834, he was appointed director of plays, and from 1839 onwards he worked at the now independent theater in Wiesbaden.
His starring roles included "Nathan the Wise" (Gottfried Ephraim Lessing) and "King Lear" (William Shakespeare).
Literature
Hack, Elke (editor): Repertories of the Hessian Main State Archives Wiesbaden. Dept. 428: Wiesbaden State Theater. Files and printed matter 1810-1996. ed.: Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden 1997.
Schramm, Karl: The father of Peter Cornelius. In: Mainzer Almanach 1961 [pp. 153-161].