Friedrich von Schiller

A great German playwright and poet, born in Marbach, Württemberg, on November 10, 1759, and died in Weimar on May 10, 1805. His background was humble, and his life was filled with hardships. He studied law and medicine. His first mature work is the play "The Robbers" (Die Räuber, 1783), a bold declaration of freedom against a tyrannical and morally corrupt society. In 1783, he published the dramatic work "Fiesco's Conspiracy at Genoa"; in 1784, "Intrigue and Love"; and in 1787, "Don Carlos." That same year, he wrote the "Ode to Joy" and settled in Weimar. He met Goethe in 1788 and was appointed a professor at the University of Jena in 1789. He engaged in writing historical works, the most significant of which is the "History of the Thirty Years' War." In 1790, he married Charlotte von Lengefeld and had two sons and two daughters. In 1791, he fell seriously ill from overwork and was at risk of dying. He translated ancient Greek and Latin authors and wrote some of his most famous poems. At the same time, he studied Kant's philosophy, resulting in remarkable philosophical and aesthetic essays, such as "On Naïve and Sentimental Poetry." In 1794, his friendship with Goethe was rekindled, marking the beginning of his mature period. He wrote some of his finest poems and ballads. The dramatic works of this period include the "Wallenstein" trilogy (1800), "Mary Stuart" (1801), "The Maid of Orleans" (1801), "The Bride of Messina" (1803), "William Tell" (1804), and the unfinished "Demetrius." He translated numerous foreign dramatic works, mainly English and French (Macbeth, Phèdre, etc.). He edited the magazines "The Hours" and "The Musen-Almanach." Together with Goethe, he wrote the satirical distichs "Xenia."