Adolf Friedrich von Schack

Born in 1815 in Mecklenburg, he studied law in Bonn, Heidelberg, and Berlin before working in public service. He later left that career behind to focus on literary and artistic interests, building a reputation as a poet and historian of literature.

He was especially drawn to Spanish literature and also worked as a translator, helping bring other traditions into German literary life. In Munich he became closely associated with the cultural circle around King Maximilian II, and over time he also became an important supporter of painters.

Today, he is often remembered as much for collecting art as for writing it. The collection he assembled, rich in 19th-century German painting, survives as the Sammlung Schack in Munich, which keeps his name closely tied to the artistic world he championed.