Friedrich Schiller
1759 – 1805 German poet, playwright
The poet and dramatist of freedom, co-founder of German classicism.
- Religion
- Raised Lutheran; his mature thought centered on freedom and aesthetic humanism more than doctrine.
- Affiliations
- Professor of history at Jena; close ally of Goethe. No confirmed Masonic membership.
Schiller wrote plays like William Tell and Don Carlos that made human freedom their great theme. His Ode to Joy, set by Beethoven, became an anthem of liberty and brotherhood. With Goethe he shaped the golden age of German literature.
Connections
- ally of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — Their close friendship defined German literary classicism.
- ally of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — Their friendship and collaboration defined Weimar classicism.