Gotthold E. Lessing

From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (* 22. January 1729 in Kamenz (Saxony); † 15. February 1781 in Braunschweig) was a German poet in the time of the enlightenment.

Lessing was one of twelve children. His father was a Protestant priest. He went to school in Kamenz and got a stipendium for the Higher School in Meißen. From 1746 to 1748 he studied medicine and theology in Leipzig, 1750 he moved to Berlin, where he met Voltaire. In 1752 he got the Magister (Master) degree from the university in Wittenberg.

1755 he moved back to Leipzig, but returned later to Berlin. He travelled around in Europe and studied. He worked as a reporter.

From 1760 to 1765 he worked as secretary for a General in Breslau (today: Wroclaw). Later he worked at the theater and became a librarian. He married in 1774.

In 1781 he died.

[edit] Works

1747: Damon oder die wahre Freundschaft (Damon, or true friendship)
1748:
- Der junge Gelehrte (The young savant)
- Der Misogyn
- Die alte Jungfer (the old virgin)
1749:
- Die Juden (The jews)
- Der Freigeist (The free spirit)
1750: Der Schatz (The Treasure)
1755: Miss Sara Sampson
1759:
- Fabeln (3 Bücher) (Fables, 3 books)
- Faust (Fragment) (Faust, a frament)
- Philotas
1766: Laokoon oder Über die Grenzen der Malerei und Poesie
1767:
- Minna von Barnhelm
- Hamburgische Dramaturgie (1767-1769)
1772: Emilia Galotti
1777:
- Das Testament Johannis
- Über den Beweis des Geistes und der Kraft
1778: Anti-Goeze
1779: Nathan der Weise
1780: Die Erziehung des Menschengeschlechts
1781: Die eheliche Liebe (Gedicht)
- Ernst und Falk - Gespräche für Freimaurer