Gotthold Ephraïm Lessing was educated at the Royal School in
Meissen (1741-1746) and studied theology, medicin and philosophy
in Leipzig (1746-1748). He translated French plays for Friederike
Caroline Neuber and in 1748 her group performed a play of his
own, "Der Junge Gelehrte".
In November 1748 he moved
to Berlin, where he met Voltaire in 1750 and worked for the
Berlinischen Pivilegierten Zeitung. He made himself a name as
a critic and he did translation work for Voltaire, but it seems
their friendship soon ended.
In 1755 his "Miß Sara
Sampson" was a big success and in the same year he returned
to Leipzig. After a period of financial difficulties he once
move moved to Berlin in 1758. From 1760 until 1765 he was secretary
to B.F. von Tauentzien, the Prussian commander in Breslau.
In
1767 his "Minna von Barnhelm" became the first comedy to show
contemporary German life. After another period in Berlin he
went to Hamburg to work for the new Deutsche Nationaltheater.
In 1770 he became librarian at Wolfenbüttel, where a unique
collection of old manuscripts was held. His play "Emilia Galotti"
(1772) would become the main inspiration for Friedrich Schiller's
"Kabale und Liebe" (1784).
In 1776 his finances were
finally sufficient to marry Eva König, to whom he had been engaged
since 1771. But she died after giving birth to a son, the child
dying as well. In Wolfenbüttel he wrote his famous play "Nathan
der Weise" (1779, first performed 4 Apr 1783 in Berlin). In
1781 he suddenly died during a trip to Braunschweig.
He
was buried at the Magni cemetery in Braunschweig. For a long
time his grave was thought to be lost, but in 1833 the historian
Carl Schiller (1807-1874) rediscovered it.
Related persons
• was a friend of Bode, Johann Joachim Christoph
• had work illustrated by Chodowiecki, Daniel
• visited Gellert, Christian Fürchtegott
• was sculpted by Kaupert, Gustav
• cooperated with Neuber, Friederike Caroline
• was written about by Stahr, Adolf
• met Voltaire
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