Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff

Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff (1788–1857) was a German writer and a major figure of Romanticism. He studied law and philosophy in Breslau, Halle, Heidelberg, and Vienna. After taking part in the Wars of Liberation from 1813 to 1815, he entered the Prussian civil service in 1816 and later served, among other positions, as a government councillor before retiring in 1844. Eichendorff wrote poetry and prose. His best-known works include the novella “From the Life of a Good-for-Nothing” (»Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts«, 1826). His poems were set to music by numerous composers.