Carl Friedrich Zöllner (1800-1860) was a German composer and may be seen as the leading personality of men's chorus activities in central Germany in the middle of the nineteenth century.



He attended school in Eisleben and Eisenach and most notably the Thomas school in Leipzig. He gave up studying theology after he had obtained the post of voice teacher at the Leipzig Ratsfreischule in 1820. In 1822 he organized a private musical institute where above all choral music was nurtured. In 1833 he opened the first Zöllner-Verein (Zöllner Club), followed by the establishment of numerous men's choruses led by Zöllner. In a concert celebrating Schiller's centenary he conducted twenty glee clubs.



Well-known and still sung today: "Wanderschaft" (Das Wandern ist des Müllers Lust), "Im Krug zum grünen Kranze" and "Das Lied vom Rheinwein".