VOLK, WILHELM GUSTAV (pseudonym: Ludwig Clarus). — Second writer, convert, b. 25 Jan. 1804 at Halberstadt, d. at Erfurt on 17 March 1869.
The son of a Protestant jurist, he studied (1823–26) at Göttingen and Berlin the sciences of law together with literature and philosophy (he attended the lectures of Hegel and Schleiermacher). During a further period of study in Berlin (1832–33) he formed relations with the jurist Prof. George Phillips, his contemporary, who had converted to Catholicism in 1828. He married (1836) the daughter of a parish priest and became a government councillor (1838) at Erfurt. During a journey through southern Germany he was introduced by Prof. Phillips, who had moved to Munich, to the personalities of the so-called Görres Circle, who exercised a lasting influence on V., drawing him ever closer to the Catholic faith. The decisive step, however, came only after he had made the Spiritual Exercises on the advice of the Bishop of Mainz, Em. V. Ketteler. V. abjured together with his wife on 18 Oct. 1855 at Aigen near Salzburg. Pensioned in 1858, he lived until his death at Erfurt as an exemplary Catholic.
He published his autobiography under the title: Simeon. Wanderungen und Heimkehr eines christlichen Forschers, von Ludwig Clarus (3 vols., Schaffhausen 1862–63). The list of V.’s writings comprises 71 items in J. Kehrein, Biographisch-literarisches Lexikon der katholischen deutschen Dichter… (II, Würzburg 1871, pp. 223–28). Important are his works on Italian (2 vols., 1832–34) and Spanish (2 vols., 1846) literatures, the translation of the works of St Teresa (5 vols., 1851–55), St Bridget (4 vols., 1856; 2nd ed. 1888), St Hildegard (1854), St Matilda (1867), etc.