Ernst von Wildenbruch - Biography

Writer, born in Beirut, Lebanon, the grandson of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia and the son of the Prussian ambassador to Constantinople. He studied law, and became a judge and later a senior Prussian civil servant. He wrote poetry and very popular patriotic plays with historical themes, notably Spartakus (1873), Die Karolinger (1882), and Die Haubenlerche (1891). He became court poet in Prussia.

Ernst von Wildenbruch (February 3, 1845 – January 15, 1909) was a German poet and dramatist.

Biography

Erns von WIldenbruch was born at Beirut in Lebanon, the son of the Prussian consul-general. Having passed his early years at Athens and Constantinople, where his father was attached to the Prussian legation, he came in 1857 to Germany, received his early schooling at the Padagogium at Halle and the Französische Gymnasium in Berlin, and, after passing through the Cadet school, became, in 1863, an officer in the Prussian army.

Two years later he abandoned his military career, but was recalled to the colors in 1866 for the war with Austria.

In 1876 Wildenbruch was attached to the foreign office, which he finally quit in 1900 with the title of counsellor of legation.

Among his chief dramas may be mentioned the tragedy Harold (1582);

Wildenbruch was twice (in 1884 and 1896) awarded the Schiller prize, and was, in 1892, created a doctor of philosophy honoris causa by the university of Jena.

He died in 1909.