Background
He was born in Breslau, Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland) into a Huguenot family. His father was the Stempelrendant (stamp accountant) Johann van der Velde and his mother was Beata Rosina van der Velde (née Gartschok).
He was born in Breslau, Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland) into a Huguenot family. His father was the Stempelrendant (stamp accountant) Johann van der Velde and his mother was Beata Rosina van der Velde (née Gartschok).
He worked as a municipal judge and published his novels serially in the newspaper Dresdner Abendzeitung. Most of them were historical, but Das Liebhaber-Theater (1823) began a vogue for humoresques. His collected works were published in 25 volumes from 1819 to 1827.
He died at the age of 44 and his last two works were published posthumously.
Several were translated into English by Nathaniel Greene.
