After studying law at Jena, he went in 1769 to Göttingen, where he became one of the leading spirits in the Göttingen "Dichterbund" or "Hain." Boie's poetical talent was not great, but his thorough knowledge of literature, his excellent taste and sound judgment, made him an ideal person to awake the poetical genius of others.
Together with FW Gotter he founded in 5770 the Göttingen Musenalmanach, which he directed and edited until 1775, when, in conjunction with CW von Dohm (1751-1820), he brought out Das deutsche Museum, which became one of the best literary periodicals of the day. In 1776 Boie became secretary to the commander-in-chief at Hanover, and in 1781 was appointed administrator of the province of Süderditmarschen in Holstein. He died at Meldorf.
See K Weinhold, Heinrich Christian Boie (Halle, 1868).
This entry was originally from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.