C.D. Warner, et al., comp.
The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. 1917.
Émile Erckmann (1822–1899) and Alexandre Chatrian (1826–1890)
Erckmann-Chatrian (erk’män-shä-trē-o
‘). Joint name of two French novelists: Émile Erckmann, born at Pfalzburg, May 20, 1822; died at Luneville, March 14, 1899; and Alexandre Chatrian, born near the same town, Dec. 18, 1826; died on Sept. 5, 1890. They were schoolfellows, later companion glassblowers, finally literary copartners. ‘The Illustrious Doctor Mathéus’ (1859) was their first novel, and highly successful; among the others are: ‘Stories from the Banks of the Rhine’ (1862); ‘Madame Thérèse’ (1863); ‘Friend Fritz’ (1864); ‘Story of a Conscript of 1813’ (1865), and its sequel ‘Waterloo’ (1865); ‘Brigadier Frederic’ (1874); ‘Banished’ (1882). They portray Alsatian life and the Napoleonic era with great fidelity and sympathy. They also wrote successful plays, as ‘The Polish Jew’ (1869); ‘Friend Fritz’ (1877); ‘The Rantzaus’ (1882). (See Critical and Biographical Introduction).