Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller

Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian, and a leading figure of both the Sturm und Drang movement and the Weimar Classicism period. He first won literary fame with his play The Robbers, and his later Intrigue and Love became a classic of German bourgeois tragedy through its intense conflict and sharp social criticism. William Tell, drawn from folk legend, portrays a collective struggle against tyranny. His writings on aesthetics and philosophy were equally influential: On the Aesthetic Education of Man explores aesthetic education and human freedom, while Letters to a Young Poet has also found a wide readership. Closely associated with Goethe, Schiller is celebrated alongside him as one of the “twin stars” of German literary history. His works combine powerful dramatic tension with an idealistic spirit, securing his place in German and world literature.