Georg Buchner

Georg Büchner (1813–1837) was a German writer, physician, and natural scientist. Born in Goddelau near Darmstadt, he studied medicine and natural sciences in Strasbourg and Giessen, alongside history and philosophy. He earned a doctorate in Zurich in 1836 and became a lecturer in comparative anatomy there. Büchner was politically active and founded the secret Society for Human Rights in 1834. Together with Friedrich Ludwig Weidig, he wrote the pamphlet “The Hessian Courier,” which called for resistance to social and political oppression. His major works include “Danton’s Death,” “Leonce and Lena,” “Lenz,” and the unfinished drama “Woyzeck.” Büchner died of typhus in Zurich in 1837.