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A photo Friedrich Schiller by Ludovike Simanowiz –

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Friedrich Schiller

Friedrich Sciller was born on 10 November 1759 as Johan Christoph Frierich Schiller. He was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. Schiller grew up in a very religious family of 6 children where he was the only boy child.

He was the son of a military doctor, Johann Kaspar Schiller, and Elisabeth Dorothea Schiller. Schiller spent much of his youth studying the Bible. The Bible later influenced his writing skills for theatre. In the article are the top ten astonishing facts about Friedrich Schiller.

1. He was named after a great king

A portrait of Friedrich Schiller by Friedrich Georg Weitsch –

Frederick the Great also Frederick II was a king in Prussia from 1740 until 1772 when he died. The King had great achievements in life including his military success in the Silesian wars, his reorganization of the Prussian army, the First Partition of Poland, and his patronage of arts and the enlightenment.

Schiller was born while the king was still in power. After all, he was named after him though most people called Schiller Fritz.

2. He is the father of Weimar Classicism

A portrait of Friedrich Schiller by Anton Graff –

During the last seventeen years of his life that is from 1788-1805, Schiller developed a productive friendship with the already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Goethe convinced him to return to playwriting. The two developed the Weimar Theatre.

The two discussed issues concerning aesthetics, and Goethe encouraged Schiller to finish his sketches. The collaboration of the two led to a renaissance of Drama in German called Weimar Classicism. The new humanism included ideas of Romanticism, Classicism, and age enlightenment.

3. His parents wanted him to be a priest

Schiller as I said earlier, spent most of his youth life reading and analyzing the Bible. His family was protestant. Friedrich Schiller always cut classes with his older sister in their primary education at Lorch due to poor education in the town.

His parents wanted him to become a priest. They had the priest of the village tutor the boy in Latin and Greek. Father Moser was a good teacher. As a boy, Schiller was very happy with the idea o becoming a priest. Sometimes he wore black robes and pretended to preach.

4. Schiller was a professional doctor

Karl Eugen, Duke of Wurttemberg was interested in Schiller. He admitted him to Karlsschule Stuttgart. This was after the family failed to make ends meet at Lorch after Kaspar was not paid for three years and decided to work for Karl Eugene.

Schiller studied medicine in the military elite academy founded by the duke.
In 1780, Schiller obtained a post as a regimental doctor in Stuttgart. He disliked the job though. He left the post to attend the play “The Robbers”. He was arrested and sentenced to 14 days of imprisonment and forbidden from publishing further work.

5. He made his debut with the play “The Robbers”

A portrait of Friedrich Schiller by Deutsche Reichspost –

After he joined the Karlsschule Stuttgart, he read Rousseau and Goethe and discussed Classical ideals with his classmates. While in school, he wrote the play “The Robbers” which dramatizes the conflict between two aristocratic brothers.

The play in short was a critic of social corruption and its affirmation of proto-revolutionary republican ideals astounded its original audience. The play went viral and Schiller became sensational and would become an honorary member of the Rench Republic.

6. Caroline Von Wolzogen wrote his first biography

A photo of Caroline von Wolzogen by Philipp Friedrich Hetsch –

It was in 1830 when Caroline von Wolzogen wrote the first authoritative biography of Schiller. Carolie von Wolzogen was Schiller’s sister-in-law. She was a German writer in the Weimar Classicism circle which was invented by Schiller. Caroline wrote the biography 25 years after Schiller’s death.

7. He was speculated to be a freemason

Some freemasons conjecture that Schiller was a Freemason. These same members of Freemason society who speculate so, have not come up with solid evidence to prove the claim.

Schiller wrote in his 10th letter in 1787 about Don Carlos, ” I am neither Illuminatus, but if the fraternization has a moral purpose in common with one another…”

8. Schiller wrote many philosophical papers

His philosophical papers were mostly on ethics and aesthetics. He synthesized the thought of Immanuel Kant with the thought of German idealist philosopher, Karl Leonhard Reinhold. His philosophical work was particularly aimed at the question of human freedom. This made scholars have a consensus and thought Schiller was a liberal.

9. He is considered one of Germany’s most important playwrights

Friedrich chiller photo by Unupulusunu –

Critics like F. J. Lamport and Eric Auerbach have noted Schiller’s innovative use of dramatic structure and creation of new forms such as melodrama, and bourgeois tragedy. Germans
have considered him the most avid writer of his plays.

10. He wrote many Aesthetic letters

A photo of Aesthetic Letter by Friedrich Schiller –

Aesthetic ideals were the most pivotal work by Schiller. Aesthetic ideas are the main thing that brought him back to life as a writer when he was approached by Goethe. Schiller wrote a series of Aesthetic letters, particularly on the education of man.

In his letters, he propounds that it is very possible to control the moral character of people, by first touching their souls with positive influence. Marcuse says that Shiller’s Letters aim at remarking on civilization by the liberating force of aesthetic function.

Schiller’s poems were more difficult to set to music than Goethe’s. Ludwig van Beethoven wrote that nobody could compose a song from Schiller’s poems because a composer needs to rise higher than the poet. a poem was written about Schiller’s burial. He died on 9 May 1805 at 45 years.