Brentano

Brentano, Clemens, 1778-1842, German poet of the romantic school; brother of Bettina von Arnim (see under Arnim, Achim von). While studying at Halle and Jena he met Wieland, Herder, and Goethe, but his sympathies were with the younger German romantics. With Achim von Arnim he collaborated on Des Knaben Wunderhorn [the boy's magic horn] (1806-8), a folk-song collection that influenced Eichendorff, Heine, the brothers Grimm and several composers, notably Mahler. Brentano wrote plays, lyric poems, fairy tales, and such novellas as Geschichte vom braven Kasperl und dem schönen Annerl (1817, tr. The Story of the Just Casper and Fair Annie, 1927).

Brentano, Franz, 1838-1917, German philosopher and psychologist. He was a teacher (1866-73) at Würzburg, and in 1874 he became professor of philosophy at Vienna. In 1880 he retired to write and study. His best-known book, Psychologie vom empirischen Standpunkte (1874), attempts to establish psychology as an independent science. Brentano believed that mental processes were the data of psychology and were to be regarded as acts rather than as passive processes. He influenced Edmund Husserl and Alexius Meinong.

(born Jan. 16, 1838, Marienberg, Hesse-Nassau—died March 17, 1917, Zürich, Switz.) German philosopher. Nephew of Clemens Brentano, he was ordained a priest in 1864 and taught at the University of Würzburg (1866–73). Religious doubts led to his resignation from the priesthood in 1873. To present a systematic psychology that would serve as a science of the soul, he wrote the influential Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint (1874). He became the founder of act psychology, or intentionalism, which concerns itself with the mind's “acts” or processes (e.g., perception, judgment, loving, and hating) rather than its contents. He later taught at the University of Vienna (1874–80, 1881–95) and published works such as Inquiry into Sense Psychology (1907) and The Classification of Psychological Phenomena (1911).

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(born Jan. 16, 1838, Marienberg, Hesse-Nassau—died March 17, 1917, Zürich, Switz.) German philosopher. Nephew of Clemens Brentano, he was ordained a priest in 1864 and taught at the University of Würzburg (1866–73). Religious doubts led to his resignation from the priesthood in 1873. To present a systematic psychology that would serve as a science of the soul, he wrote the influential Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint (1874). He became the founder of act psychology, or intentionalism, which concerns itself with the mind's “acts” or processes (e.g., perception, judgment, loving, and hating) rather than its contents. He later taught at the University of Vienna (1874–80, 1881–95) and published works such as Inquiry into Sense Psychology (1907) and The Classification of Psychological Phenomena (1911).

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(born Sept. 9, 1778, Ehrenbreitstein, near Koblenz—died July 28, 1842, Aschaffenburg, Bavaria) German poet, novelist, and dramatist. He was one of the founders of the Heidelberg Romantic school, which emphasized German folklore and history. With his brother-in-law Achim von Arnim (1781–1831), he published Des Knaben Wunderhorn (1805–08; The Youth's Magic Horn), a collection of German folk lyrics (including successful imitations of folk style) that became an important inspiration to lyric poets and composers such as Gustav Mahler. Among his most successful works are his fairy tales, particularly Gockel, Hinkel and Gackeleia (1838).

Learn more about Brentano, Clemens with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born Sept. 9, 1778, Ehrenbreitstein, near Koblenz—died July 28, 1842, Aschaffenburg, Bavaria) German poet, novelist, and dramatist. He was one of the founders of the Heidelberg Romantic school, which emphasized German folklore and history. With his brother-in-law Achim von Arnim (1781–1831), he published Des Knaben Wunderhorn (1805–08; The Youth's Magic Horn), a collection of German folk lyrics (including successful imitations of folk style) that became an important inspiration to lyric poets and composers such as Gustav Mahler. Among his most successful works are his fairy tales, particularly Gockel, Hinkel and Gackeleia (1838).

Learn more about Brentano, Clemens with a free trial on Britannica.com.

There are some famous people named Brentano or von Brentano:

• Antonie Brentano
• August Brentano, bookseller
• Bernard von Brentano, novelist
• Christian Brentano
• Clemens Brentano, poet and novelist, brother of Bettina von Arnim (b. Brentano)
• Franz Brentano, philosopher, influenced phenomenology and gestalt psychology
• Heinrich von Brentano di Tremezzo, politician (CDU)
• Lorenzo Brentano, politician
• Lujo Brentano, economist, reformer
• Maximiliane Brentano, befriended Goethe; dedicatee of some of Beethoven's compositions
• Franz Funck-Brentano
• Théodore Funck-Brentano
• Brentano's is a bookstore chain owned by Borders Group.

See also the original meaning of the names: Brentano and Brenton