Friedrich Schiller

Friedrich Schiller was a leading German poet and dramatist who became a central figure of Weimar Classicism alongside Goethe. Originally from Swabia, Schiller settled in Weimar in 1799 at Goethe's invitation. In the brief six years before his untimely death, Schiller produced some of his greatest plays – including "Mary Stuart," "The Maid of Orleans," and "William Tell" – many premiered at the Weimar Court Theater under Goethe's direction. The partnership between Schiller and Goethe (often called the "twin stars" of Weimar) was extraordinarily fruitful: they engaged in deep exchanges on aesthetics and collaborated (for instance, on the Xenien epigrams). Schiller's passionate, idealistic works complemented Goethe's, together embodying the humanistic and classical ideals that defined the era. Schiller also taught history and philosophy, being ennobled in 1802, which added "von" to his name. He lived with his family in a house on Schillerstraße – now the Schiller Museum – where he wrote and hosted intellectual circles. Plagued by ill health, Schiller died in Weimar in 1805 at age 45, plunging Goethe and the city into mourning. Initially interred in a municipal tomb, his remains (or an accepted substitute) were later placed in the Ducal Vault beside Goethe. Schiller's legacy in Weimar is omnipresent: statues, the theater name, and the reverence of the city as the cradle of Germany's classic literature.