Reflecting the sun stands the Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter Bust. It commemorates a man of many talents. Who was Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter? What makes him worthy of this memorial?
Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter was born Peter Wilhelm Karl Müller. He entered the world in Königswinter on March 5, 1816. He died in Neuenahr on June 29, 1873. He adopted his pen name in 1845. He was a German physician, poet, and politician. He was known for his patriotic lyrics. Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter was also a writer of popular folk songs and sagas.
His father was a physician named Johann Georg Müller. The family later moved to Bergheim. There, Wolfgang spent his childhood. From 1827 to 1835, he attended the Royal Gymnasium in Düsseldorf. During this time, he wrote his first poems.
His parents’ home was a hub for artists. He met composer Norbert Burgmüller there. He also met painters like Alfred Rethel. Jakob Becker and Andreas Achenbach were frequent guests. Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter developed a passion for the Düsseldorf School of Painting.
He studied medicine at the University of Bonn starting in 1835. He also sought connections with poets and writers. Karl Simrock and Ferdinand Freiligrath were among them. In 1838, he moved to the University of Berlin. He completed his state examination in 1840. Afterward, he served as a military surgeon in Düsseldorf.
Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter continued his medical studies in Paris in 1842. There, he met Heinrich Heine. Franz von Dingelstedt and Georg Herwegh were also acquaintances. After his father’s sudden death, he settled in Düsseldorf. He worked as a general practitioner.
He married Emilie Schnitzler in 1847. She was the daughter of Karl Eduard Schnitzler. In 1848, he became a member of the preliminary parliament in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche.
Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter quit his medical practice in 1853. He moved to Cologne and became a freelance writer. In 1854, he dedicated a series of art historical letters to Düsseldorf artists. These artists had been active for the past 25 years. From 1860 to 1866, he directed the Düsseldorfer Künstler-Album. He had previously edited it from 1851 to 1852.
In 1873, a liver ailment led him to move to Neuenahr. He died there that same year at age 57. He was buried in his wife’s family tomb. The tomb was in Cologne’s Melaten Cemetery.
A marble plaque was placed on his birthplace in Königswinter in 1878. It served as a memorial to the poet. In 1912, a street in Cologne-Marienburg was named after him. In 1932, his birthplace became known as “Haus Wolfgang Müller”. This designation was revoked in 1937. Also in 1937, a newly built side street was named “Wolfgang-Müller-Straße”. His birthplace burned down in 1971. A new building replaced it in 1975.
Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter had a sister named Wally. She was a soprano in Düsseldorf’s Singverein. She performed at the Lower Rhine Music Festivals. In 1838, she married the painter Jakob Becker. They moved to Frankfurt am Main in 1841. She published her memoirs in 1901.
His marriage to Emilie Schnitzler produced five children. Max, Paul, Hans, Else, and Tony. Hans became a musicologist. Else married the painter Norbert Schroedl.
Today, the Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter Bust stands as a reminder. It honors a man who excelled as a doctor. He also excelled as a writer, a poet, and a patriot. His legacy lives on through his works and this memorial. It invites us to remember his contributions to German culture.