Educated at the Altstadler gymnasium in Magdeburg, Zschokke spent some time as a playwright before returning to study at the University of Frankfort-on-the-Oder. In 1792, he became an assistant professor. In 1793, he published Aballino, the Great Bandit, which was very popular. In 1796, he settled in Switzerland where he opened a school at Recihenau. In 1798, political upheaval forced him to close the school and take a position as deputy to Aarau. He subsequently became the government commissioner to Unterwalden. Zschokke was an able administrator and in 1800, became the lieutenant governor of Basel. He was a prolific writer, but is nevertheless considered among the minor German authors. In addition to his novels and short stories, he also produced some historical works and edited a number of periodicals. Today, he is best remembered for his tales. His works included Stunden der Andacht (1816), Bilder aus der Schweiz (1825), Der Creole (1830), Ausgewahlte Novellen und Dichtungen (1839), his autobiography, Eine Selbstschau (1842), Incident of Social Life Amid the European Alps (1844), Fool of the Nineteenth Century (1845) and Meister Jordan (1845). |
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