Otto Heinrich von Gemmingen zu Hornberg (5 November 1755 – 3 March 1836) was a member of the aristocratic Gemmingen family. He was a diplomat and enlightenment writer, a Freemason and a friend of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Life Family provenance and early years Otto Heinrich von Gemmingen-Hornberg was born at the Free imperial city Heilbronn, where his parents were based for a period. His father, also called Otto Heinrich von Gemmingen (1727–1790), worked as a judge at the imperial district court in Wetzlar, and it was here that he spent the first ten years of his life, receiving his schooling from his father, probably with backup from a tutor.
His mother, Marie Elis von Gemmingen-Hornberg (1723–1775), was the widow of Count von Virmont and a daughter of Johann Hermann Franz von Nesselrode.
After the death of his grandfather his father gave up his work as a judge in 1766 and the family relocated to Heilbronn. From the lawyerly social milieu in the bustling commercial centre, he would move to a more traditionally aristocratic lifestyle during his earl teenage years, with parties and concerts and fireworks in summer evenings and tobogganing in the winter. It was in this context that the younger Otto Heinrich - generally known as Heinrich in the family - had his first experience of theatre at the "Komödiensaal" in the town hall, making frequent stage appearances in the works of Lessing, Schiller, Shakespeare and other playwrights fashionable at the time. His father nevertheless continued to place emphasis on more serious aspects of his education. Important for any future career in politics or diplomacy was mastery of the French language, and both French and Jurisprudence featured prominently in his studies. Literature and Music were not ignored, however. Heinrich had access not merely to his father's extensive library but also to the public library in the town, which afforded excellent opportunities for building his knowledge. He also became a competent performer on the 'cello and on the piano. He was a frequent visitor at the home of Gottlob Moriz Christian von Wacks, the longstanding mayor of Heilbronn, by whose wife, Charlotte Sophie von Wacks, a great lover of the arts, Heinrich's own taste was greatly influenced. During these teenage years he also had a brief but intense love affair with Lotte, the daughter of a Heilbronn businessman. His artistic mentor, Charlotte Sophie von Wacks, attempted to end the affair which she believed might obstruct Heinrich's subsequent education. She warned Lotte's mother what was happening. When that failed to have any effect she arranged a meeting between the two fathers. In the end Lotte was persuaded that Heinrich's commitment was not as absolute as she had thought, while Heinrich's father brought forward the date on which the boy should be sent away to pursue his studies. Heinrich von Gemmingen later recycled the experience in his play, "Der deutsche Hausvater", with which he established his reputation as a dramatist virtually overnight.
Mannheim years When he was still only 19 he was sent to Mannheim to pursue his legal studies, although he still made frequent returns to Heilbronn where he continued to participate in the drama productions at the town hall. As far as theatre was concerned, the atmosphere in Mannheim was less carefree than in provincial Heilbronn, as the absolutist rulers discouraged scholars and aristocrats from attending theatre. Gemmingen's love for the theatre persisted, however, and Mannheim was changing. Its position on one of Europe's main communication channels, the River Rhine, gave the city quick access to new currents of Enlightenment thinking. He settled quickly into Mannheim society and, after barely half a year in the city, was appointed a chamberlain, although he never showed any appetite for the life of a courtier. In any case, jobs of this nature disappeared when the royal court left Mannheim for Munich in 1778 after Charles Theodore, the Prince-Elector, inherited the Bavaria. Meanwhile, Gemmingen continued to read extensively and to profit from the cultural opportunities provided by Mannheim and nearby Schwetzingen. He attended and was deeply affected by a performance of what was said to be the first opera sung in the German language. Around this time he took the decision to devote his free time to learning how to become a writer. He wanted to be able to use these skills to enlighten and, in the words of one source, to liberate the simple people from ignorance.
Meanwhile, in or before 1777 he became a Hofkammerrat in Mannheim, which cemented his membership of society and gave him oversight over education and schools, which also extended to the National Theatre Mannheim (a set of duties from which Gotthold Ephraim Lessing had just resigned). This position was worth 950 Gulden per month plus bonuses.
Mozart friendship Mozart arrived in Mannheim at the start of his second visit to the city on 30 October 1777. Gemmingen and the composer quickly got to know one another and to value each other's company. They shared a love of music and a passion for the theatre. Together they worked on "Semiramis", an opera which is believed subsequently to have been lost (and may very well never have been completed). Mozart mentions Gemmingen a number of times in letters to his father. He writes about their work together on the first act of "Semiramis" in which the work is described as an "opera" and then as a "duodrama". During the next few months Mozart and Gemmingen were frequently seen out and about together, for instance in rehearsals for the Holzbauer opera "Günter von Schwarzburg". They were seen together on 6 November 1777 when Mozart was presented to the prince-elector, and again on 3 December when Mozart was giving lessons to the ("extra-marital") four children of the prince-elector born in rapid succession to Josepha Seyffert (who later became the Countess von Heydeck). Although himself a member of the influential "Kurpfälzischen Deutschen Gesellschaft" ("Kurpfalz German Society") only since 1776, Gemmingen was well known to fellow members, having already given many presentations and lectures to it, and he was able to introduce Mozart to the membership. That led to a number of intense discussions over how the German language might be promoted, at a time when much literature was in French and operas normally had Italian lyrics. There was also discussion over how a German national theatre might be established.
On 15 March 1778 Mozart set out on a journey to Paris, accompanied by his mother. He had already been obliged to sell his own carriage to finance the trip, and Gemmingen was able to improve the quality of his journey, providing three gold "Louis d'or" coins, "to repay the expense of writing out the music" of a recently composed quartet.
National theatre Meanwhile, the national theatre project became a reality and on 1 September 1778 Wolfgang Heribert von Dalberg was appointed intendant of the National Theatre in Mannheim. A permanent theatre company was created, headed up by August Wilhelm Iffland. The first production was presented on 7 October 1779 and within a few years Mannheim became one of the leading theatres in Germany. The premier of The Robbers on 13 January 1782 was a huge success with the public, marking as it did the public launch of the career of a new playwright, Friedrich Schiller. The success also made the National Theatre itself a cultural focus for intellectual elites. In recognition of his contribution to launching and sustaining the theatre project Heinrich von Gemmingen zu Hornberg was invited to assume oversight of dramaturgy. He also became a frequent and committed theatre critic. In 1779 it became apparent that he had also been working on a play of his own.
Meanwhile, early in July 1778, news came through that Mozart's mother had died suddenly while accompanying her son in Paris. Mozart returned to Mannheim where Gemmingen showed him the translation he was working on of Rousseau's Pygmalion, and discussed his plans for translating Shakespeare's Richard III. However, Mozart received a forceful letter from his father, dated 9 December 1778, ordering him urgently back to Vienna. There was no question of disobeying his father, but Mozart gave free rein to his anger.
Success with "Hausvater"
In 1779 Gemmingen revisited the thwarted love affair of his youth with his performance piece "Der deutsche Hausvater" (loosely: "The German house father"). The play was presented in the Autumn/Fall before the "Kurpfälzischen Deutschen Gesellschaft" ("Kurpfalz German Society"). It was consciously and unusually political, denouncing the division between aristocracy and bourgeoisie, and the treatment of the peasantry by both. Gemmingen used the piece as a passionate attack on class barriers. The audience included both friends and critics - those who had criticised him in the past for excessive restraint and vagueness. At the end of the first reading, resounding applause broke out. Apprehension on the part of some of the aristocratic audience members could not prevent the piece becoming a success. The actor manager Friedrich Ludwig Schröder (who later became a personal friend), immediately accepted the play for his company, and headed up the first performance at Hamburg on 4 October 1779. Within a few months "Der deutsche Hausvater" was enjoying long runs in Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, Prague and a number of smaller cities. It was even translated into Italian. Friedrich Schiller, whose own later play Intrigue and Love was clearly influenced by "Hausvater", wrote effusively to Wolfgang Heribert von Dalberg at the National Theatre, with warm words to be passed to the author of the work.
Freemasonry It is believed that Gemmingen joined the freemasons around 1779 when he was 24. He had connections with several lodges, not just in Mannheim itself but also in Heidelberg, Worms and Vienna. There are also indications that he introduced the young Mozart to freemasonry during the composer's time in Mannheim, although there is no firm evidence for this. It is probable that Gemmingen became a member of the Carl zur Eintracht lodge in Mannheim in 1779, some 23 years after its establishment, which came under the direction of the Grand Lodge of Prussia called Royal York for friendship. He appears already to have reached the degree of "Master" by 1782 when he relocated to Vienna where, between 1782 and 1787, he was regarded as one of the city's leading Freemasons.
Marriage His court appointment involved working in the Schwetzingen Palace, and Gemmingen therefore took rooms in the palace "for reasons of economy" (as he wrote to his father). This meant regularly dining at the Prince-elector's table, and in the palace grounds he frequently met the Countess Palatine accompanied by her ladies in waiting. One of these was the Countess Charlotte von Sicklingen (1756–1826). Gemmingen and Charlotte married on 8 September 1779. Shortly afterwards the couple were temporarily separated when the Prince-elector acquired Bavaria and moved the court to Munich. Gemmingen moved with the court. The Prince-elector's wife, the Countess Palatine remained in Mannheim, however, together with her ladies in waiting.
In Munich Gemmingen oversaw the first Munich productions of "The Inheritance" and "The House-father", which had to be adapted for Bavarian conditions. However, in 1780 he was able to return to Mannheim for the birth of his first son.
Move to Vienna: enlightenment years In 1781 oversight of schools was transferred from Gemmingen's remit to the Catholic Church, hampering Gemmingen's ambitions to