Hebbel, Friedrich

Hebbel, Friedrich, b. Wesselburen (Germany), March 18, 1813, d. Vienna, Dec. 13, 1863, dramatist, poet, narrative author. Came from a poor family, after his success with "Judith" (1841) received a scholarship from the Danish King, which took him to Paris (where he met H. Heine), Rome and Naples. From 1845 in Vienna, in 1846 he married the Burgtheater actress Christine Enghaus and became one of the most famous poets in Vienna. His realistic dramas stand somewhere between the classical and the modern psychological drama illustrating historical crises through individual tragedies. Even before H. Ibsen and A. Strindberg H. promoted women´s right to self-determination in his most famous dramas ("Maria Magdalena", 1844; "Agnes Bernauer", 1855).

Further Works: dramas: Herodes und Mariamne, 1850; Ein Trauerspiel in Sizilien, 1851; Gyges und sein Ring, 1856; Die Nibelungen (trilogy), 1862; Demetrius, 1864 (fragment). - Poetry: Gedichte, 1842; Neue Gedichte, 1848. - Prose: Mein Wort über das Drama, 1843 (essay); Schnock, 1850; narratives and novellas, 1855; Notenbuch meines Herzens, 2 vols., 1885/87 (diary). - Editions: Complete Works, ed. by E. Kuh, 12 vols., 1865-1867; Complete Works, ed. by R. M. Werner, 24 vols., 1901-1907, ³1911-1913 (anniversary edition).

Literature: A. Meetz. F. H., ³1973; F. H., ed. by H. Kreuzer, 1989; G. Häntzschel (ed.), Gefühl und Reflexion. Studien zu F. H. Lyrik, 1998; C. Pilling, H. Dramen, 1998.