Ferdinand Schmidt

Born in Frankfurt (Oder) on October 2, 1816, Ferdinand Schmidt became known in Germany as both a writer and an educator. He spent his career creating books that aimed to inform as well as entertain, with a strong interest in history, legend, and moral instruction.

Schmidt wrote for younger readers and is remembered for retelling historical subjects and heroic traditions in a clear, engaging style. His works included subjects such as Charlemagne, George Washington, the Nibelungs, and other figures and tales drawn from European history and myth.

He died in Berlin on July 30, 1890. Though not widely known today, his books continued to circulate after his death, and several were translated into English by George Putnam Upton, which helped preserve his place in children's historical and literary reading.