Minna von Barnhelm

Meer over het boek

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's "Minna von Barnhelm" is a five-act play first published in 1767 and premiered on September 30, 1767, in Hamburg. This complete new edition includes a biography of the author and is edited by Karl-Maria Guth. The text is based on the collected works edited by Herbert G. Gopfert and others, published in multiple volumes by Hanser from 1970 onwards, with precise pagination noted in the margins of this edition. The cover design features an image by Joshua Reynolds, and the text is set in Minion Pro, 11 pt. Lessing was born in 1729 in Kamenz, the son of a pastor, and studied theology and philosophy in Leipzig. He published his first poems and stories at eighteen, inspired by Molière and Voltaire. In Berlin, he wrote critiques for the Berlinische Privilegierte Zeitung and began crafting his first dramas. After earning his philosophy degree, he became involved in Berlin's literary scene, befriending notable figures like Friedrich Nicolai and Moses Mendelssohn. His first major work, "Miss Sara Sampson," marked the beginning of German bourgeois tragedy. Elected to the Prussian Academy of Sciences, he became the dramaturg at the Hamburg National Theater in 1767. Lessing served as a librarian in Wolfenbüttel from 1770 to 1781 and joined a Freemason lodge in 1771. His pivotal work, "Nathan der Weise," published in 1779, is celebrated for its themes of tolerance and humanity. Lessing passed away in 1781 in Braun