Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Portrait of Lessing by Anna Rosina Lisiewska during his time as dramaturg of Abel Seyler's Hamburg National Theatre (1767/1768)
Born	(1729-01-22)22 January 1729 Kamenz, Upper Lusatia, Saxony
Died	15 February 1781(1781-02-15) (aged 52) Braunschweig, Brunswick-Lüneburg
Occupation	Writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, art critic, and dramaturg
Alma mater	Leipzig University University of Wittenberg
Notable works	Miss Sara Sampson, Emilia Galotti, Minna von Barnhelm, Nathan the Wise, Laocoön, Hamburgische Dramaturgie
Spouse	Eva König
Signature

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (/ˈlɛsɪŋ/, German: [ˈɡɔthɔlt ˈʔeːfʁa.ɪm ˈlɛsɪŋ] ^ⓘ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. 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.^[1]