Christoph Friedrich Nicolai was a German writer and bookseller.
Background
Nicolai was born in Berlin, where his father, Christoph Gottlieb Nicolai (d 1752), was the founder of the famous Nicolaische Buchhandlung. He received a good education, and in 1749 went to Frankfurt (Oder) to learn his father"s business, finding time also to become acquainted with English literature.
Career
In association with Mendelssohn he established in 1757 the Bibliothek der schönen Wissenschaften, a periodical which he conducted until 1760. Together with Lessing and Mendelssohn, Nicolai edited the famous book review journal Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend between 1759 and 1765. And from 1765 to 1792 he edited another book review journal Allgemeine deutsche Bibliothek.
This latter periodical served as the organ of the so-called popular philosophers, who warred against authority in religion and against what they conceived to be extravagance in literature.
Of Nicolai"s independent works, perhaps the only one which has some historical value is his Anekdoten von Friedrich World War II (1788–1792). His romances are forgotten, although Das Leben und die Meinungen des Herrn Magister Sebaldus Nothanker (1773–1776), and his satire on Goethe"s Werther, Freuden des jungen Werthers (1775), had a certain reputation in their day.
Nicolai died in 1811 in Berlin. Nicolai"s Bildniss und Selbsbiographie was published by Moses Samuel Löwe in the Bildnisse jetzt lebender Berliner Gelehrter, in 1806.
Politics
Between 1788 and 1796, Nicolai published in twelve volumes a Beschreibung einer Reise durch Deutschland und die Schweiz, which bears witness to the narrow conservatism of his views in later life.
Views
In 1752 Nicolai returned to Berlin, and began to take part in literary controversy by defending John Milton against the attacks of JC Gottsched.
Membership
Prussian Academy of Sciences. Illuminatis; Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities.