man actors.

LUDWIG DEVRIENT (1784-1832), born in Berlin on the 15th of December
1784, was the son of a silk merchant. He was apprenticed to an
upholsterer, but, suddenly leaving his employment, joined a travelling
theatrical company, and made his first appearance on the stage at Gera
in 1804 as the messenger in Schiller's _Braut von Messina_. By the
interest of Count Bruehl, he appeared at Rudolstadt as Franz Moor in
Schiller's _Raeuber_, so successfully that he obtained a permanent
engagement at the ducal theatre in Dessau, where he played until 1809.
He then received a call to Breslau, where he remained for six years. So
brilliant was his success in the title-parts of several of Shakespeare's
plays, that Iffland began to fear for his own reputation; yet that great
artist was generous enough to recommend the young actor as his only
possible successor. On Iffland's death Devrient was summoned to Berlin,
where he was for fifteen years the popular idol. He died there on the
30th of December 1832. Ludwig Devrient was equally great in comedy and
tragedy. Falstaff, Franz Moor, Shylock, King Lear and Richard II. were
among his best parts. Karl von Holtei in his _Reminiscences_ has given a
graphic picture of him and the "demoniac fascination" of his acting.

See Z. Funck, _Aus dem Leben zweier Schauspieler, Ifflands und
Devrients_ (Leipzig, 1838); H. Smidt in _Devrient-Novellen_ (3rd ed.,
Berlin, 1882); R. Springer in the novel _Devrient und Hoffmann_
(Berlin, 1873), and Eduard Devrient's _Geschichte der deutschen
Schauspielkunst_ (Leipzig, 1861).

Three of the nephews of Ludwig Devrient, sons of his brother, a
merchant, were also connected with the stage. KARL AUGUST DEVRIENT
(1797-1872) was born at Berlin on the 5th of April 1797. After being for
a short time in business, he entered a cavalry regiment as volunteer and
fought at Waterloo. He then joined the stage, making his first
appearance on the stage in 1819 at Brunswick. In 1821 he received an
engagement at the court theatre in Dresden, where, in 1823, he married
Wilhelmine Schroeder (see SCHROeDER-DEVRIENT). In 1835 he joined the
company at Karlsruhe, and in 1839 that at Hanover. His best parts were
Wallenstein and King Lear. He died on the 5th of April 1872. His brother
PHILIPP EDUARD DEVRIENT (1801-1877), born at Berlin on the 11th of
August 1801, was for a time an opera singer. Turning his attention to
theatrical management, he was from 1844 to 1846 dire