Where was Friedrich Schiller born? country. Perception of Friedrich Schiller's work

Biography

Johann Christoph Friedrich Schiller (11/10/1759, Marbach am Neckar - 05/09/1805, Weimar) - German poet, philosopher, historian and playwright, representative of the romantic movement in literature.

Born November 10, 1759 in Marbach (Württemberg); comes from the lower classes of the German burghers: his mother is from the family of a provincial baker-tavern keeper, his father is a regimental paramedic.

1768 - begins to attend Latin school.

1773 - being a subject of the Duke of Württemberg, Karl Eugene, the father is forced to send his son to the newly established military academy, where he begins to study law, although since childhood he has dreamed of becoming a priest.

1775 - the academy was transferred to Stuttgart, the course of study was extended, and Schiller, leaving jurisprudence, began to practice medicine.

1780 – after completing the course, he receives a position as a regimental doctor in Stuttgart.

1781 – publishes the drama “The Robbers” (Die Rauber), begun at the academy. The plot of the play is based on the enmity of two brothers, Karl and Franz Moor; Karl is impetuous, courageous and, in essence, generous; Franz is an insidious scoundrel who seeks to take away from his older brother not only his title and estates, but also the love of his cousin Amalia. For all the illogicality of the gloomy plot, the irregularities of the rough language and youthful immaturity, the tragedy captures the reader and viewer with its energy and social pathos. The second edition of "The Robbers" (1782) has title page image of a roaring lion with the motto "In tyrannos!" (Latin: “Against tyrants!”). The "robbers" prompted the French in 1792. make Schiller an honorary citizen of the new French Republic.

1782 - “The Robbers” was staged in Mannheim; Schiller attends the premiere without asking the sovereign for permission to leave the duchy. Having heard about the second visit to the Mannheim theater, the Duke puts Schiller in the guardhouse, and later orders him to practice only medicine. September 22, 1782 Schiller flees the Duchy of Württemberg.

1783 - apparently no longer fearing the Duke's revenge, the intendant of the Mannheim Theater Dahlberg appoints Schiller as a "theater poet", concluding a contract with him to write plays for production on the Mannheim stage. Two dramas that Schiller worked on even before fleeing Stuttgart are “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa” (Die Verschworung des Fiesco zu Genua), a play based on the biography of the 16th-century Genoese conspirator, and “Cunning and Love” (Kabale und Liebe), the first “philistine tragedy” in world drama was staged at the Mannheim Theater, and the latter was a great success. However, Dahlberg does not renew the contract, and Schiller finds himself in Mannheim in very straitened financial circumstances, moreover, tormented by the pangs of unrequited love.

1785 – Schiller writes one of his most famous works, “Ode to Joy” (An die Freude). Beethoven completed his 9th symphony with a grand choir based on the text of this poem.

1785-1787 - accepts the invitation of one of his enthusiastic admirers, Privatdozent G. Körner, and stays with him in Leipzig and Dresden.

1785-1791 – Schiller publishes a literary magazine, published irregularly and under various names (for example, “Thalia”).

1786 – “Philosophical Letters” (Philosophische Briefe) is published.

1787 – play “Don Carlos”, which takes place at the court of the Spanish king Philip II. This drama ends the first period of Schiller's dramatic work.

1787-1789 – Schiller leaves Dresden and lives in Weimar and its surroundings.

1788 – writes the poem “Gods of Greece” (Gottern Griechenlands), in which the ancient world is shown as a center of joy, love and beauty. Also created historical research“The History of the Fall of the Netherlands from Spanish Rule” (Geschichte des Abfalls der vereinigten Niederlande von der spanischen Regierung).

Schiller meets with Goethe, who has returned from Italy, but Goethe shows no desire to maintain the acquaintance.

1789 – becomes a professor world history at the University of Jena.

1790 – marries Charlotte von Lengefeld.

1791-1793 – Schiller works on “The History of the Thirty Years' War” (Die Geschichte des Drei?igjahrigen Krieges).

1791-1794 – Crown Prince Frank von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg and Count E. von Schimmelmann pay Schiller a stipend that allows him not to worry about his daily bread.

1792-1796 – a series of philosophical essays by Schiller are published: “Letters on aesthetic education"(Uber die asthetische Erziehung der des Menschen, in einer Reihe von Briefen), "On the tragic in art" (Uber die tragische Kunst), "On grace and dignity" (Uber Anmut und Wurde), "On the sublime" (Uber das Erhabene) and “On naive and sentimental poetry” (Uber naive und sentimentalische Dichtung). Schiller's philosophical views are under strong influence I. Kant.

1794 – publisher I.F. Cotta invites Schiller to publish the monthly magazine “Ory”.

1796 – the second period of Schiller’s dramatic work begins, when he subjects turning points in history to artistic analysis. European peoples. The first of these plays is the drama Wallenstein. While studying the History of the Thirty Years' War, Schiller finds in the Generalissimo of the Imperial Troops Wallenstein a grateful dramaturgically figure. The drama takes shape in 1799. and takes the form of a trilogy: a prologue, Wallensteins Lager, and two five-act dramas, Die Piccolomini and Wallensteins Tod.

In the same year, Schiller founded a periodical, the annual “Almanac of the Muses,” where many of his works were published. In search of materials, Schiller turns to Goethe, and now the poets become close friends.

1797 - the so-called “ballad year”, when Schiller and Goethe, in friendly competition, created ballads, incl. Schiller – “The Cup” (Der Taucher), “The Glove” (Der Handschuh), “The Ring of Polycrates” (Der Ring des Polykrates) and “The Cranes of Ibykus” (Die Kraniche des Ibykus), which came to to the Russian reader in translations by V.A. Zhukovsky. In the same year, “Xenia” was created, short satirical poems, the fruit of the joint work of Goethe and Schiller.

1800 - the play “Marie Stuart”, illustrating Schiller’s aesthetic thesis that for the sake of drama it is quite acceptable to change and reshape historical events. Schiller did not bring political and religious issues to the fore in Mary Stuart and conditioned the outcome of the drama on the development of the conflict between the rival queens.

1801 - the play “The Maid of Orleans” (Die Jungfrau von Orleans), which is based on the story of Joan of Arc. Schiller gives free rein to his imagination, using the material of a medieval legend, and admits his involvement in the new romantic movement, calling the play a “romantic tragedy.”

1802 – Holy Roman Emperor Francis II ennobles Schiller.

1803 – “The Bride of Messina” (Die Braut von Messina) was written, in which Schiller, well-read Greek drama, who translated Euripides and studied Aristotle's theory of drama, is experimentally trying to revive the inherent ancient tragedy forms, in particular, choirs, and in its individual interpretation embodies the ancient Greek understanding of fatal punishment.

1804 – the last completed play “William Tell”, conceived by Schiller as a “folk” drama.

1805 – work on the unfinished drama “Demetrius”, dedicated to Russian history.

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Biography

Schiller was born on November 10, 1759 in the city of Marbach am Neckar. His father - Johann Caspar Schiller (1723-1796) - was a regimental paramedic, an officer in the service of the Duke of Württemberg, his mother was from the family of a provincial baker and innkeeper. Young Schiller was brought up in a religious-pietistic atmosphere, which was echoed in his early poems. His childhood and youth were spent in relative poverty, although he was able to study at rural school and Pastor Moser. Having attracted the attention of the Duke of Württemberg, Karl Eugen (German: Karl Eugen), in 1773 Schiller entered the elite military academy “Karl's Higher School” (German: Hohe Karlsschule), where he began to study law, although since childhood he dreamed of becoming a priest. In 1775, the academy was transferred to Stuttgart, the course of study was extended, and Schiller, leaving jurisprudence, took up medicine. Under the influence of one of his mentors, Schiller became a member secret society Illuminati, predecessors of the German Jacobins. In 1779, Schiller's dissertation was rejected by the leadership of the academy, and he was forced to stay for a second year. Finally, in 1780, he completed the academy course and received a position as a regimental doctor in Stuttgart. Also in school years Schiller writes his first works. Influenced by the drama Julius of Tarentum (1776) by Johann Anton Leisewitz, Frederick wrote Cosmus von Medici, a drama in which he tried to develop a favorite theme of the Sturm und Drang literary movement: hatred between brothers and love father. But the author destroyed this play [source not specified 250 days]. At the same time, his enormous interest in the work and style of writing of Friedrich Klopstock prompted Schiller to write the ode “The Conqueror,” published in March 1777 in the journal “German Chronicle” and which was an imitation of his idol. His drama “The Robbers,” completed in 1781, is better known to readers.

The Robbers was first staged in Mannheim on January 13, 1782. For his unauthorized absence from the regiment in Mannheim for the performance of The Robbers, Schiller was arrested and prohibited from writing anything other than medical essays, which forced him to flee from the Duke's possessions on September 22, 1782.

In July 1787, Schiller left Dresden, where he stayed with Privatdozent G. Körner, one of his admirers, and lived in Weimar until 1789. In 1789, with the assistance of J. W. Goethe, whom Schiller met in 1788, he took the position of extraordinary professor of history and philosophy at the University of Jena, where he gave an introductory lecture on the topic “What is world history and for what purpose is it studied.” In 1790, Schiller married Charlotte von Lengefeld, with whom he had two sons and two daughters. But the poet's salary was not enough to support his family. Help came from Crown Prince Fr. Kr. von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg and Count E. von Schimmelmann, who during three years(1791–1794) paid him a stipend, then Schiller was supported by the publisher I. Fr. Cotta, who invited him in 1794 to publish the monthly magazine Ory.

In 1799 he returned to Weimar, where he began publishing several literary magazines with money from patrons. Having become a close friend of Goethe, Schiller together with him founded the Weimar Theater, which became the leading theater in Germany. The poet remained in Weimar until his death. In 1802, Holy Roman Emperor Francis II granted Schiller nobility.

Schiller's most famous ballads (1797) - The Cup (Der Taucher), The Glove (Der Handschuh), Polycrates' Ring (Der Ring des Polykrates) and Ivikov's Cranes (Die Kraniche des Ibykus), became familiar to Russian readers after translations by V. A. Zhukovsky .

His “Ode to Joy” (1785), the music for which was written by Ludwig van Beethoven, gained worldwide fame.

The last years of Schiller's life were overshadowed by serious, protracted illnesses. After a severe cold, all the old ailments worsened. The poet suffered from chronic pneumonia. He died on May 9, 1805 at the age of 45 from tuberculosis.

Schiller's remains

Friedrich Schiller was buried on the night of May 11-12, 1805 at the Weimar Jacobsfriedhof cemetery in the Kassengewölbe crypt, specially reserved for nobles and respected residents of Weimar who did not have their own family crypts. In 1826, they decided to rebury Schiller’s remains, but they could no longer accurately identify them. The remains, randomly selected as the most suitable, were transported to the library of Duchess Anna Amalia. Looking at Schiller's skull, Goethe wrote a poem of the same name. On December 16, 1827, these remains were buried in the princely tomb in the new cemetery, where Goethe himself was subsequently buried next to his friend, according to his will.

In 1911, another skull was discovered, which was attributed to Schiller. For a long time There were disputes about which one was real. As part of the "Friedrich Schiller Code" campaign, carried out jointly by the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk radio station and the Weimar Classicism Foundation, DNA testing carried out in two independent laboratories in the spring of 2008 showed that none of the skulls belonged to Friedrich Schiller. The remains in Schiller's coffin belong to at least three different people, their DNA also does not match any of the skulls examined. The Weimar Classicism Foundation decided to leave Schiller's coffin empty.

Reception of the work of Friedrich Schiller

Schiller's works were enthusiastically received not only in Germany, but also in other European countries. Some considered Schiller a poet of freedom, others - a bastion of bourgeois morality. Available language means and apt dialogues turned many of Schiller's lines into idioms. In 1859, the centenary of Schiller's birth was celebrated not only in Europe, but also in the United States. The works of Friedrich Schiller were learned by heart, and since the 19th century they have been included in school textbooks.

After coming to power, the National Socialists tried to present Schiller as a “German writer” for their propaganda purposes. However, in 1941, productions of William Tell, as well as Don Carlos, were banned by order of Hitler.

Monuments

Most famous works

Plays

* 1781 - "Robbers"
* 1783 - “Cunning and Love”
* 1784 - “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa”
* 1787 - “Don Carlos, Infante of Spain”
* 1799 - dramatic trilogy"Wallenstein"
* 1800 - “Mary Stuart”
* 1801 - “Maid of Orleans”
* 1803 - “The Bride of Messina”
* 1804 - “William Tell”
* “Dimitri” (was not finished due to the death of the playwright)

Prose

* Article “Criminal for Lost Honor” (1786)
* "Spirit Seer" ( unfinished novel)
* Eine gro?mutige Handlung

Philosophical works

*Philosophie der Physiologie (1779)
* On the relationship between man’s animal nature and his spiritual nature / Uber den Zusammenhang der tierischen Natur des Menschen mit seiner geistigen (1780)
* Die Schaubuhne als eine moralische Anstalt betrachtet (1784)
* Uber den Grund des Vergnugens an tragischen Gegenstanden (1792)
* Augustenburger Briefe (1793)
* On grace and dignity / Uber Anmut und Wurde (1793)
* Kallias-Briefe (1793)
* Letters on the aesthetic education of man / Uber die asthetische Erziehung des Menschen (1795)
* On naive and sentimental poetry / Uber naive und sentimentalische Dichtung (1795)
* On amateurism / Uber den Dilettantismus (1799; co-authored with Goethe)
* On the Sublime / Uber das Erhabene (1801)

Schiller's works in other forms of art

Musical Theatre

* 1829 - “William Tell” (opera), composer G. Rossini
* 1834 - “Mary Stuart” (opera), composer G. Donizetti
* 1845 - “Giovanna d'Arco” (opera), composer G. Verdi
* 1847 - “The Robbers” (opera), composer G. Verdi
* 1849 - “Louise Miller” (opera), composer G. Verdi
* 1867 - “Don Carlos” (opera), composer G. Verdi
* 1879 - “The Maid of Orleans” (opera), composer P. Tchaikovsky
* 1883 - “The Bride of Messina” (opera), composer Z. Fibich
* 1957 - “Joan of Arc” (ballet), composer N. I. Peiko
* 2001 - “Mary Stuart” (opera), composer S. Slonimsky

Big Theatre of Drama opened in Petrograd on February 15, 1919 with the tragedy of F. Schiller “Don Carlos”.

Screen adaptations and films based on works

* 1980 - Teleplay “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa.” Staged by the Maly Theatre. Directors: Felix Glyamshin, L. E. Kheifets. Cast: V. M. Solomin (Fiesko), M. I. Tsarev (Verina), N. Vilkina (Leonora), N. Kornienko (Julia), Y. P. Baryshev (Gianettino), E. V. Samoilov ( Duke Doria), A. Potapov (Hassan, Moor), V. Bogin (Burgognino), Y. Vasiliev (Calcagno), E. Burenkov (Sacco), B. V. Klyuev (Lomellino), A. Zharova (Berta), M. Fomina (Rosa), G. V. Bukanova (Arabella) and others.

Johann Friedrich Schiller lived quite a life short life, however, in the 45 years that were allotted to him, he managed to do so much for world literature and culture that others did not have enough time for even a millennium. What was the fate of this brilliant man and what did he have to overcome on the way to recognition?

Origin

Schiller's ancestors lived and worked in the Duchy of Württemberg for almost 200 years. As a rule, they were hard-working people, but not particularly outstanding, so over all these years they remained artisans or peasants. However, the father of the future writer, Johann Caspar Schiller, was lucky enough to go along the military line - to become an officer and end up in the service of the Duke of Württemberg himself. As his wife, he chose Elizabeth Dorothea Kodvays, the daughter of a local innkeeper.

Despite the good military career heads, the Schiller family always lived very modestly, so their only son, Johann Christoph Friedrich Schiller, born in early November 1759, had to rely only on his talents if he wanted to achieve something in life.

Friedrich Schiller: a short biography of his early years

When the boy was 4 years old, the family moved to Lorch due to his father’s work. They lived well here, but the quality of primary education in this town left much to be desired, so Friedrich Schiller was sent not to study at school, but to the pastor of the local church, Moser.

It was under the guidance of this good-natured priest that young Frederick not only mastered literacy, but also began to study Latin. Due to the new move to Ludwigsburg, Friedrich Schiller was forced to stop studying with Moser and go to a regular Latin school.

Thanks to a thorough study of the language of the proud Romans, he was able to read the works of the classics in the original (Ovid, Virgil, Horace and others), whose ideas influenced his work in the future.

From lawyer to doctor

The Schillers initially expected Frederick to become a priest, so his passion for Latin was welcomed. But the young man’s success in studying this subject and excellent grades attracted the attention of the Duke of Württemberg, who ordered the talented boy to study at the law faculty of the Hohe Karlsschule Military Academy.

A career as a lawyer did not attract Schiller at all, so he stopped trying, and his grades gradually became the lowest in the class.

After 2 years, the guy managed to get a transfer to the medical faculty, which was closer to him. Here Friedrich Schiller found himself among students and teachers with progressive thinking. Among them was the famous German philosopher Jacob Friedrich Abel. It was he who not only revealed the talent of young Schiller, but also helped shape him. During these years, the young man decides to become a poet and begins to create his own poetic works, which were highly appreciated by those around him. He also tries his hand at writing dramas: from his pen comes a tragedy about fraternal enmity - “Cosmus von Medici”.

In 1779, student Schiller Friedrich wrote a very interesting dissertation: “Philosophy of Physiology,” but, at the order of the Duke, it was not accepted, and the author himself was left at the academy for another year.

In 1780, Schiller finally completed his studies, but due to the hostile attitude of the Duke, he was denied an officer's rank, which, however, did not prevent the graduate from getting a job as a doctor in a local regiment.

"Robbers": the history of the first publication and production

During the year of repeated studies at the academy, Friedrich had a lot of free time, which he used to begin work on his own play, “The Robbers.” It took another year to bring it to fruition. It was only when the playwright finished the work that he was faced with the fact that local publishers, although they praised The Robbers, did not risk publishing it.

Believing in his talent, Friedrich Schiller borrowed money from a friend and published his play. It was received well by readers, but for better effect it was necessary to stage it.

One of the readers - Baron von Dahlberg - agreed to stage Schiller's work at the Mannheim Theater, of which he was the director. At the same time, the nobleman demanded that changes be made. Reluctantly, the young playwright agreed, but after the premiere of “The Robbers” (in January 1782), its author became known throughout the duchy.

But for his unauthorized departure from service (which he committed in order to attend the premiere), he was not only sent to the guardhouse for 2 weeks, but also, by order of the Duke, was forbidden to write any literary works.

On free bread

After the ban he began to difficult choice Friedrich Schiller: to write works or to serve as a doctor? Realizing that, due to the Duke’s hostility, he would not be able to achieve success in the poetic field in his homeland, Schiller persuaded his composer friend Streicher to run away. And a few months later they secretly left their native places and moved to the Margraviate of the Palatinate. Here the playwright settled in the small village of Oggersheim under a fictitious name - Schmidt.

The writer’s savings did not last long, and he sold his drama “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa” to the publisher for almost nothing. However, the fee quickly ran out.

To survive, Friedrich was forced to ask for help from a noble acquaintance, Henriette von Walzogen, who allowed him to settle in one of her estates in Bauerbach under the false name Dr. Ritter.

Having received a roof over his head, the playwright began to create. He finalized the tragedy “Louise Miller”, and also decided to create a large-scale historical drama. Choosing between the fate of the Spanish Infanta and Queen Mary of Scots, the author leans toward the first option and writes the play “Don Carlos.”

Meanwhile, Baron von Dahlberg, having learned that the Duke is no longer looking for the fugitive poet, invites Schiller to stage his new plays “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa” and “Louise Miller” in his theater.

However, “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa” was unexpectedly received coldly by the audience and was considered too moralizing. Taking this feature into account, Friedrich Schiller finalized “Louise Miller”. The ideas that he wanted to convey to the viewer through this work had to be made more accessible to understanding, and also dilute the moralizing dialogues of the characters in order new performance did not repeat the fate of the previous one. In addition, with light hand performed by one of the main roles - August Iffland, the title of the play was changed to "Cunning and Love".

This production surpassed even "The Robbers" in its success and turned its creator into one of the most famous playwrights Germany. This helped the fugitive writer obtain official status in the Margraviate of the Palatinate.

Schiller the publisher

Having become a nationally known playwright, Schiller began publishing his own magazine, “Rhine Waist,” in which he published his works on theater theory, presenting his ideas in them. However, this enterprise did not bring him much money. Trying to find a means to live, the writer asked the Duke of Weimar for help, but the position of adviser granted to him did not particularly improve his financial situation.

Trying to escape the clutches of poverty, the poet accepted an offer from a community of admirers of his work to move to Leipzig. In his new place, he became friends with the writer Christian Gottfried Kerner, with whom they maintained close relations until the end of their days.

During the same period, Friedrich Schiller finally finished his play Don Carlos.

The books he wrote during this period are more high level than the writer’s early works and indicate the formation of his own style and aesthetics. So, after “Don Carlos,” he takes up writing his only novel, “The Spiritualist.” Friedrich also does not abandon poetry - he composes his most famous poetic work- “Ode to Joy,” which Beethoven would later set to music.

Having suspended the publication of "Rhine Waist" due to lack of funds, the writer receives a position on the editorial board of the magazine "German Mercury". Gradually, he again gets the opportunity to publish his own periodical - “Talia”. There he publishes not only his theoretical and philosophical works, but also his novel.

Attempts to find income lead to the writer moving to Weimar, where for the first time he finds himself in the company of the most famous writers of his time. Under their influence, he decides to leave writing for a while works of art and fill gaps in your education.

Schiller-teacher

Focusing on self-education, Schiller expanded his own horizons and began writing a historical work. In 1788 he published the first volume of the History of the Fall of the Netherlands. In it, Friedrich Schiller briefly but very thoroughly spoke about the division that had occurred, thereby earning fame as a scientist-historian. This work helped its author obtain a position as a teacher of history and philosophy at the University of Jena.

A record number of students - 800 people - signed up for the course with the famous writer. And after the first lecture, the audience gave him a grand ovation.

The following year, Schiller undertook to teach a course of lectures on tragic poetry, and also conducted individual sessions in world history. In addition, he began writing the History of the Thirty Years' War. Frederick also resumed the publication of the Rhine Thalia, where he published his own translation of Virgil's Aeneid.

It would seem that life had improved, but like thunder on a clear day, the doctors’ diagnosis sounded - pulmonary tuberculosis. Because of him, in the third year of work, Schiller was forced to leave teaching. Fortunately, the sick playwright was given an annual financial subsidy of 1,000 thalers, which was paid to him for 2 years. After their expiration, the writer was invited to the post of publisher in the Ory magazine.

Personal life

As mentioned above, Friedrich Schiller had no brothers, but he had 3 sisters. Due to his frequent moves and conflicts with the Duke, the playwright did not particularly maintain relations with them. Only fatal disease his father forced him prodigal son to temporarily return to his homeland, where he had not been for 11 years.

As for women, the writer, as a romantic person, was a rather amorous man and intended to get married several times, but in most cases he was rejected due to poverty.

The poet's first known lover was Charlotte, the daughter of his patron Henriette von Walzogen. Despite admiring Schiller's talent, her mother refused the playwright when he wooed her daughter.

The second Charlotte in the writer’s life was the widow von Kalb, who was madly in love with him, but did not find an answer to her feelings in him.

Schiller also courted the young daughter of the bookseller Schwan, Margarita. He intended to marry her. But the girl did not take her fan seriously and only teased him. When there was a direct declaration of love and an offer to get married, she refused.

The third woman in the poet’s life named Charlotte reciprocated his feelings. And as soon as he got a job as a teacher and began to receive a stable income, the lovers were able to get married. From this union four children were born. Despite the fact that Schiller praised his wife’s intelligence in every possible way, those around her noted her as an economical and businesslike woman, but very narrow-minded.

Creative tandem of Goethe and Schiller

After the start of the French Revolution, all of blessed Europe was divided into its admirers and opponents. Schiller (awarded the title of honorary citizen of the French Republic for his work) was ambivalent about it, but understood that changing the ossified foundations in the country would only benefit it. But many cultural figures did not agree with him. To interest the readers of the magazine "Ory", the writer invited Goethe to enter into a debate about the French Revolution on the pages of the publication. He agreed, and that was the beginning great friendship two geniuses.

Having common views and inheriting the ideals of antiquity in their work, the writers tried to create high-quality new literature, free from clericalism, but at the same time capable of instilling high morality in readers. Both geniuses published their theoretical literary works, as well as poems, on the pages of Ora, which often aroused public indignation, which, however, benefited the magazine’s sales.

This creative tandem jointly created a collection of caustic epigrams, which, despite their belligerence, were incredibly popular.

At the end of the 18th century. Goethe and Schiller together opened a theater in Weimar, which, thanks to their efforts, became one of the best in the country. For the first time such famous plays Friedrich Schiller as "Mary Stuart", "Bride of Messina" and "William Tell". Today, near this theater there is a monument to its glorious founders.

Friedrich Schiller: biography of recent years and death of the poet

3 years before his death, the writer was unexpectedly granted a noble title. He himself was rather skeptical about this mercy, but accepted it so that his wife and children would be provided for after his death.

Meanwhile, the health of the great playwright deteriorated every year. Tuberculosis progressed, and Schiller slowly faded away. And in May 1805, at the age of 45, he died without finishing his last play, “Dimitri.”

The mystery of the writer's grave

Despite all his attempts, Friedrich Schiller was never able to get rich. Therefore, after his death, he was buried in the Kassengewölbe crypt, organized for nobles who did not have their own family tomb.

After 20 years, they wanted to bury the remains of the great writer separately, but finding them among many others turned out to be problematic. Then a skeleton was chosen at random and declared to be Schiller's body. He was buried in the princely tomb in the new cemetery, next to the grave of his close friend Goethe.

However, in future years, historians and literary scholars have doubts about the authenticity of the playwright's body. And in 2008, an exhumation was carried out, which revealed amazing fact: the poet’s remains belonged to a completely different person, or rather, three. Today it is impossible to find the real body of Friedrich Schiller, so his grave is empty.

During his short but very productive life, the writer created 10 plays, two historical monographs, many philosophical works and beautiful poems. However, despite his lifetime recognition, Schiller was never able to get rich and spent the lion's share of his time trying to make money, which depressed him and undermined his health. But his work brought German literature (and drama in particular) to a new level.

Although more than 250 years have passed, and not only the political situation in the world has changed, but also the thinking of people, to this day most of the writer’s works remain relevant and many readers around the world find them very entertaining - isn’t this the best praise for the genius of Friedrich Schiller?

Name: Friedrich von Schiller

Age: 45 years

Activity: poet, philosopher, historian, playwright

Family status: was married

Friedrich Schiller: biography

Creativity of a romantic rebel, poet XVIII century Friedrich Schiller left no one indifferent. Some considered the playwright the ruler of the thoughts of lyricists and the singer of freedom, while others called the philosopher a stronghold of bourgeois morality. Thanks to his works that evoke ambiguous emotions, the classic managed to write his name in the history of world literature.

Childhood and youth

Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was born on November 10, 1759, Marbach am Neckar (Germany). Future writer was the second of six children in the family of officer Johann Kaspar, who was in the service of the Duke of Württemberg and housewife Elisabeth Dorothea Kodweis. The head of the family wanted him The only son received an education and grew up to be a worthy man.

That is why his father raised Friedrich in strictness, punishing the boy for the slightest sins. On top of that, Johann youth accustomed the heir to hardships. So during lunch or dinner, the head of the family deliberately did not give his son what he wanted to taste.

Schiller the elder considered the highest human virtues to be love of order, neatness and strict obedience. However, there was no need for paternal strictness. Thin and sickly, Friedrich was strikingly different from his peers and friends, who thirsted for adventure and constantly found themselves in unpleasant situations.

The future playwright liked to study. The boy could pore over textbooks for days, studying certain disciplines. Teachers noted his diligence, passion for science and incredible efficiency, which he retained until the end of his life.

It is worth noting that Elizabeth was the complete opposite of her husband, who was stingy with emotional manifestations. An intelligent, kind, pious woman tried her best to soften her husband’s Puritan strictness and often read Christian poetry to the children.

In 1764 the Schiller family moved to Lorch. In this ancient town, the father awakened his son's interest in history. This passion ultimately determined future fate poet. The future playwright's first history lessons were taught by a local priest, who had such a strong influence on the student that at one point Friedrich even seriously thought about devoting his life to worship.

Moreover, for a boy from a poor family it was the only way to become one of the people, so the parents encouraged their son’s desire. In 1766, the head of the family received a promotion and became the ducal gardener of a castle located in the vicinity of Stuttgart.

The castle, and most importantly, the court theater, which was visited free of charge by the personnel working in the castle, made an impression on Frederick. They performed at the monastery of the goddess Melpomene best actors from all over Europe. The play of the actors inspired the future poet, and he and his sisters often began to show their parents home performances in the evenings, in which he always got the main role. True, neither the father nor the mother took his son’s new hobby seriously. They saw their son only on church pulpit with a bible in his hands.

When Frederick was 14 years old, his father sent his beloved child to the military school of Duke Charles Eugene, in which the offspring of poor officers learned for free the intricacies of providing everything necessary for the ducal court and army.

Stay in this educational institution became a waking nightmare for Schiller Jr. Barracks-like discipline reigned at school, and it was forbidden to meet with parents. On top of everything else, there was a system of fines. Thus, for an unplanned purchase of food, 12 strokes of a stick were due, and for inattention and untidiness - a monetary penalty.

At that time, his new friends became a consolation for the author of the ballad “The Glove”. Friendship became a kind of elixir of life for Friedrich, which gave the writer strength to move on. It is noteworthy that the years spent in this institution did not make a slave out of Schiller; on the contrary, they turned the writer into a rebel, whose weapon - endurance and fortitude - no one could take away from him.

In October 1776, Schiller transferred to the medical department, his first poem “Evening” was published, and after that the philosophy teacher gave a talented student to read the works of William Shakespeare, and what happened, as Goethe would later say, was “the awakening of Schiller’s genius.”

Then, impressed by the works of Shakespeare, Friedrich wrote his first tragedy, “The Robbers,” which became the starting point in his career as a playwright. At the same moment, the poet became eager to write a book that would deserve the fate of being burned.

In 1780, Schiller graduated from the medical faculty and left the hated military academy. Then, on the orders of Karl Eugene, the poet went as a regimental doctor to Stuttgart. True, the long-awaited freedom did not please Frederick. He was no good as a doctor, because practical side the profession never interested him.

Bad wine, disgusting tobacco and bad women - that’s what distracted the writer who was unable to realize himself from bad thoughts.

Literature

In 1781, the drama "The Robbers" was completed. After editing the manuscript, it turned out that not a single Stuttgart publisher wanted to publish it, and Schiller had to publish the work at his own expense. Simultaneously with the Robbers, Schiller prepared for publication a collection of poems, which was published in February 1782 under the title “Anthology for 1782”

In the fall of 1782 of the same year, Friedrich made the first draft of a version of the tragedy “Cunning and Love,” which in the draft version was called “Louise Miller.” At this time, Schiller also published the drama “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa” for a meager fee.

In the period from 1793 to 1794, the poet completed the philosophical and aesthetic work “Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man”, and in 1797 he wrote the ballads “Polycrates’ Ring”, “Ivikov’s Cranes” and “Diver”.

In 1799, Schiller completed writing the Wallenstein trilogy, which consisted of the plays Wallenstein's Camp, Piccolomini and The Death of Wallenstein, and a year later he published Mary Stuart and The Maid of Orleans. In 1804, the drama "William Tell" was released, based on the Swiss legend of a skilled marksman named William Tell.

Personal life

Like any creatively gifted person, Schiller looked for inspiration in women. The writer needed a muse that would inspire him to write new masterpieces. It is known that during his life the writer intended to marry 4 times, but his chosen ones always rejected the playwright because of his financial insolvency.

The first lady who captured the poet's thoughts was a girl named Charlotte. The young lady was the daughter of his patron Henriette von Walzogen. Despite her admiration for Schiller’s talent, the chosen one’s mother refused the playwright when he wooed her beloved child.

The second Charlotte in the writer’s life was the widow von Kalb, who was madly in love with the poet. True, in this case, Schiller himself was not eager to start a family with an extremely annoying person. After her, Friedrich briefly courted the young daughter of a bookseller, Margarita.

While the philosopher was thinking about the wedding and children, his missus was having fun in the company of other men and did not even intend to connect her life with a writer with a hole in his pocket. When Schiller invited Margarita to become his wife, the young lady, barely holding back her laughter, admitted that she was just playing with him.

The third woman for whom the writer was ready to pull a star from the sky was Charlotte von Lengefeld. This lady saw the potential in the poet and reciprocated his feelings. After Schiller got a job as a philosophy teacher at the University of Jena, the playwright managed to save enough money for a wedding. In this marriage, the writer had a son, Ernest.

It is worth noting that despite the fact that Schiller praised his wife’s intelligence, those around her noted that Charlotte was a thrifty and faithful lady, but very narrow-minded.

Death

Three years before his death, the writer was unexpectedly granted a noble title. Schiller himself was skeptical about this mercy, but accepted it so that his wife and children would be provided for after his death. Every year the playwright, suffering from tuberculosis, became worse and worse, and he literally faded away in front of his family and friends. The writer died at the age of 45 on May 9, 1805, without finishing his last play, “Dimitri.”

During his short but productive life, the author of “Ode to Joy” created 10 plays, two historical monographs, as well as a couple of philosophical works and a number of poems. However, earn literary work Schiller did not succeed. That is why, after his death, the writer was buried in the Kassengewelbe crypt, organized for nobles who did not have their own family tomb.

After 20 years, it was decided to rebury the remains of the great writer. True, finding them turned out to be problematic. Then the archaeologists, pointing their finger at the sky, selected one of the skeletons they had excavated, declaring to the public that the remains found belonged to Schiller. After that, they were again interred in the princely tomb in the new cemetery, next to the grave of the philosopher’s close friend, the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

A couple of years later, biographers and literary scholars had doubts about the authenticity of the playwright’s body, and in 2008 an exhumation was carried out, which revealed an interesting fact: the poet’s remains belonged to three different people. Now it is impossible to find Friedrich’s body, so the philosopher’s grave is empty.

Quotes

“Only he who controls himself is free”

“Parents least of all forgive their children for the vices that they themselves instilled in them.”

“A person grows as his goals grow”

"Better a terrible ending than endless fear"

"Great souls endure suffering in silence"

“A person is reflected in his actions”

Bibliography

• 1781 - "Robbers"
• 1783 - “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa”
• 1784 - “Cunning and Love”
• 1787 - “Don Carlos, Infante of Spain”
• 1791 - “History of the Thirty Years' War”
• 1799 - "Wallenstein"
• 1793 - “On Grace and Dignity”
• 1795 - “Letters on the aesthetic education of man”
• 1800 - “Mary Stuart”
• 1801 - “On the Sublime”
• 1801 - “The Maid of Orleans”
• 1803 - “The Bride of Messina”
• 1804 - “William Tell”

Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich (1759 – 1805)

German poet, playwright and aesthetic philosopher.

Born November 10, 1759 in Marbach. He comes from the lower classes of the German burghers: his mother is from the family of a provincial baker and innkeeper, his father is a regimental paramedic. After studying at primary school and studies with a Protestant pastor, Schiller in 1773, by order of the Duke of Württemberg, entered the newly established military academy and began to study law, although since childhood he dreamed of becoming a priest; in 1775 the academy was transferred to Stuttgart, the course of study was extended, and Schiller, leaving jurisprudence, took up medicine. After completing the course in 1780, he received a position as a regimental doctor in Stuttgart.

While still at the academy, Schiller moved away from the religious and sentimental exaltation of his early literary experiments, turned to drama and in 1781 completed and published The Robbers. Early next year the play was staged in Mannheim; Schiller was present at the premiere. For his unauthorized absence from the regiment for the performance of The Robbers, he was arrested and banned from writing anything other than medical essays, which forced Schiller to flee the Duchy of Württemberg. The intendant of the Mannheim Theater, Daljoerg, appoints Schiller as a “theater poet”, concluding a contract with him to write plays for production on stage. Two dramas - “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa” and “Cunning and Love” - were staged at the Mannheim Theater, and the latter was a great success.

Tormented by agony unrequited love, Schiller willingly accepted the invitation of one of his enthusiastic admirers, Privatdozent G. Kerner, and stayed with him for more than two years in Leipzig and Dresden.

In 1789, he received a position as professor of world history at the University of Jena, and thanks to his marriage to Charlotte von Lengefeld, he found family happiness.

The Crown Prince von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg and Count E. von Schimmelmann paid him a scholarship for three years (1791-1794), then Schiller was supported by the publisher J. Fr. Cotta, who invited him in 1794 to publish the monthly magazine “Ory”.

Schiller was interested in philosophy, especially aesthetics. The result was the Philosophical Letters and whole line essays (1792-1796) - “On the tragic in art”, “On grace and dignity”, “On the sublime” and “On naive and sentimental poetry”. Schiller's philosophical views were strongly influenced by I. Kant.

In addition to philosophical poetry, he also creates purely lyrical poems - short, songlike, expressing personal experiences. In 1796, Schiller founded another periodical, the yearbook “Almanac of the Muses,” where many of his works were published.

In search of materials, Schiller turned to J. V. Goethe, whom he met after Goethe returned from Italy, but then things did not go beyond a superficial acquaintance; now the poets became close friends. The so-called “ballad year” (1797) was marked by Schiller and Goethe with excellent ballads, incl. Schiller’s “Cup”, “Glove”, “Polycrates’ Ring”, which came to the Russian reader in magnificent translations by V.A. Zhukovsky.

In 1799, the Duke doubled Schiller's allowance, which, in essence, became a pension, because... The poet was no longer engaged in teaching and moved from Jena to Weimar. In 1802, the Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation, Francis II, granted Schiller the nobility.

Schiller, Johann Christoph Friedrich - great German poet, b. November 10, 1759 in the Swabian town of Marbach. His father, first a paramedic, then an officer, despite his abilities and energy, had insignificant earnings and, together with his wife, a kind, impressionable and religious woman, lived meagerly. Following the regiment from one place to another, it was only in 1770 that they finally settled in Ludwigsburg, where Schiller’s father received the position of head of the palace gardens of the Duke of Württemberg. The boy was sent to a local school, hoping in the future, in accordance with his inclinations, to see him as a pastor, but, at the request of the Duke, Schiller entered the newly opened military school, which in 1775, under the name of the Charles Academy, was transferred to Stuttgart. So a gentle boy from a loving family found himself in a rough soldier’s environment, and instead of giving in to his natural inclinations, he was forced to take up medicine, for which he did not feel the slightest inclination.

Portrait of Friedrich Schiller. Artist G. von Kügelgen, 1808-09

Here, under the yoke of heartless and aimless discipline, Schiller was kept until 1780, when he was released and accepted into the service as a regimental doctor with a paltry salary. But despite the increased supervision, Schiller managed to taste the forbidden fruits of the new German poetry, and there he began to write his first tragedy, which he published in 1781 under the title “Robbers” and with the inscription “In tyrannos!” (“On the tyrants!”) In January 1782, going to Mannheim secretly from the regimental authorities, the author witnessed the extraordinary success of his first-born on stage. For unauthorized absence young doctor They put me under arrest, advising me to give up the nonsense and get better at medicine.

Then Schiller decided to break with the past, fled from Stuttgart and, with the support of some friends, began new dramatic works. In 1783, his drama “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa” was published, the following year - the bourgeois tragedy “Cunning and Love”. All three of Schiller's youthful plays are filled with indignation against despotism and violence, from under the yoke of which the poet himself had just escaped. But at the same time, in their elevated style, exaggerations and sharp contrasts when drawing characters, in the uncertainty of ideals with a republican tint, one can feel a not quite mature youth, filled with noble courage and high impulses. Much more perfect is the tragedy “Don Carlos”, published in 1787, with the famous Marquis Posa, the bearer of the poet’s cherished ideas and aspirations, the herald of humanity and tolerance. Starting with this play, Schiller, instead of the previous prose form, began to use poetry, enhancing the artistic impression.