Sealsfield, Charles eigentlich Carl Magnus Postl, weiteres Pseudonym C. Sidons#
b. Popice, Czech Republic (then Popitz), March 3, 1793, d. near Solothurn (Switzerland), May 26, 1864, narrative writer and journalist. At first a member of the Kreuzherren order in Prague, studied theology and philosophy, ordination in 1814, secretary to the head of the order in 1816; in 1823 fled to the USA via Switzerland and France, became an American citizen under the name of C. S. Became editor of the "Courrier des États Unis" in New York in 1830; returned to Europe in 1831, stayed in Paris and London, contacts with W. Scott, L. Boerne and H. Heine; lived in Switzerland from 1832, several stays in the USA. His real name became known only after his death. S. was the first German-speaking author to describe the growing American nation against the background of adventurous plots. His most successful work was "Das Cajuetenbuch, oder Nationale Charakteristiken" (2 vols., 1841). S. heavily criticised the Metternich Regime in his pamphlet "Austria as it is" (1828, banned in Austria).
Further works#
Novels: Der Legitime und die Republikaner, 3 parts, 1833; Der Virey und die Aristokraten oder Mexiko im Jahre 1812, 3 vols., 1835; Die grosse Tour, 2 parts, 1835; Lebensbilder aus beiden Hemisphaeren, 6 parts, 1835-1837; Neue Land- und Seebilder oder Die deutsch-amerikanischen Wahlverwandtschaften, 4 vols., 1839-1840; Sueden und Norden, 3 vols., 1842-1843. - Essays: Die Vereinigten Staaten von Nordamerika nach ihrem polit., relig. und gesellschaftl. Verhaeltnisse betrachtet, 2 vols., 1827. - Editions: Gesammelte Werke, 18 vols., 1843-1846; Saemtl. Werke, ed. by K. J. R. Arndt, 24 vols., 1972-1991 (further volumes with source material und supplements).Literature#
F. Schueppen, C. S., 1981; G. Schnitzler, Erfahrung und Bild. Die dichterische Wirklichkeit des C. S. (Karl Postl), 1988; F. Schueppen (ed.), Neue S.-Studien, 1995; J. P. Strelka (ed.), Zw. Louisiana und Solothurn. Zum Werk des Oesterreich-Amerikaners C. S., 1997; G.-A. Pogatschnigg (ed.), C. S. - politischer Erzaehler zwischen Europa und Amerika, 1998.