GERMANY >> GERMAN LITERATURE >>
Friedrich Schiller is one of Germany's most important writers. He was born in Marbach in 1759. Just like his lifelong friend Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Schillers discovered his interest in literature at a very young age. As a son of an army doctor, Schiller was called up to join the Württembergian military academy by Carl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg. Whereas Schiller started to study medicine to become a regimental doctor, he also wrote literary texts. In 1781, he published his first drama, "The Robbers" (Die Räuber). Schiller became instantly famous and joined the Sturm und Drang movement as a late writer. However, the Duke of Württemberg took issue with Schiller's ambitions as a writer and tried to force him to concentrate on his job as a regimental doctor. Carl Eugen ordered that the only writings Schiller could publish were specialized literature in the field of medicine. Fortunately, Schiller decided to continue writing, and Germany received another mastermind in composing sophisticated literature. However, Schiller had to escape from the Duke's influence and became a deserter in the proper meaning of the word. In 1786, he published "Ode to Joy" (Ode an die Freude), which became in part the text of Europe's anthem. Friedrich Schiller had the noble vision of fraternization of all humans, even though this may seem to be a utopian dream as other parts of the world have witnessed for everyone to see. Friedrich Schiller and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe build a unit in the history of German history. Their works highly influenced German classicism and future writers.