Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing | |
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 Portrait of Lessing by Anna Rosina Lisiewska during his time as dramaturg of Abel Seyler's Hamburg National Theatre (1767/1768) | |
| Born | 22 January 1729 |
| Died | 15 February 1781 (aged 52) Braunschweig, Brunswick-Lüneburg, Holy Roman Empire |
| Education | Leipzig University University of Wittenberg |
| Occupations | Writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, art critic, and dramaturg |
| Spouse | Eva König (m. 1776; d. 1778) |
| Writing career | |
| Notable works | Miss Sara Sampson, Emilia Galotti, Minna von Barnhelm, Nathan the Wise, Laocoön, Hamburgische Dramaturgie |
Movement | German Enlightenment |
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Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (/ˈlɛsɪŋ/; German: [ˈɡɔthɔlt ˈeːfʁa.ɪm ˈlɛsɪŋ] ⓘ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic. He was a representative of the Enlightenment. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature. He is widely considered by theatre historians to be the first dramaturg in his role at Abel Seyler's Hamburg National Theatre. The word "dramaturgy" first appears in his work Hamburg Dramaturgy.