German deacon, writer and literary historian, as well as a university lecturer and rector at the Technical University of Stuttgart.
Weitbrecht came from the Schorndorf branch of the noted Weitbrecht family. After studying theology and German language and literature at the University of Tübingen, Weitbrecht initially took a job as a deacon in Schwaigern near Heilbronn from 1874. In 1886 he then accepted a call to Zurich for a position as principal and teacher at a seminary. In 1894 Weitbrecht moved to the then Technical University of Stuttgart, where he was appointed full professor of German literature and also headed the university from 1902 until his death in 1904, succeeding Jakob Johann von Weyrauch as its rector.
During his time as a deacon he worked with his brother Richard Weitbrecht, also a writer, and also with Eduard Paulus, writing several volumes of stories and poems from Swabia. Weitbrecht finally devoted himself more to his own writing, although he now focused primarily on novellas but also texts on war and homeland songs. Since his time in Zurich, Weitbrecht also tried a number of works as a dramaturge. Only since his return to Stuttgart did Weitbrecht become a literary historian.
Carl Weitbrecht married Julie Klemm (1842-1914) and they had four sons and three daughters. He died on 10 June 1904 in Stuttgart at age 56.
Link to Wikipedia biography (German)