Johann Friedrich Cotta

Johann Friedrich, Freiherr Cotta von Cottendorf (27 April 1764 – 29 December 1832) was a German publisher, industrial pioneer and politician.

[1] Although the eldest son of the third Johann Georg, Christoph Friedrich Cotta (1730–1807), established a printing-house to the court at Stuttgart, the business languished.

Born in Stuttgart, Johann Friedrich Cotta attended the gymnasium of his native place,[2] and was originally intended to study theology.

He, however, entered the university of Tübingen as a student of mathematics and law, and after graduating spent a considerable time in Paris, studying French and natural science, and mixing with distinguished literary men.

After practising as an advocate in one of the higher courts, Cotta, in compliance with his father's earnest desire, took over the publishing business at Tübingen.

Schiller was compelled to withdraw on account of his health; but his friendship with Cotta deepened every year, and was a great advantage to the poet and his family.

The poet intended, by means of this work, to infuse higher ideas into the common lives of men, by giving them a nobler human culture, and "to reunite the divided political world under the banner of truth and beauty."

In 1801 he paid another visit to Paris, also in a political capacity, when he carefully studied Napoleon's policy, and treasured up many hints which were useful to him in his literary undertakings.

With Schiller, Huber, and Gottlieb Konrad Pfeffel (1736–1809) he was on terms of the warmest friendship; and he was also intimate with Herder, Schelling, Fichte, Richter, Voss, Hebel, Tieck, Therese Huber, Matthisson, the brothers Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt, Johann Müller, Spittler and others, whose works he published in whole or in part.

He greatly extended the connections of the firm by the purchase, in 1839, of the publishing business of G. J. Göschen in Leipzig, and in 1845 of that of Vogel in Landshut; while, in 1845, "Bible" branches were established at Stuttgart and Munich.