Freiherr de Friedrich Heinrich Karl La Motte-Fouqué

Born in Brandenburg an der Havel on February 12, 1777, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué came from a family of French Huguenot origin with strong military ties. He studied briefly at Halle, then joined the Prussian army and took part in the Rhine campaign before turning more fully toward literature.

He became one of the well-known German writers of the Romantic movement, producing novels, plays, and tales inspired by chivalry, folklore, and Norse legend. He is remembered above all for Undine (1811), the haunting story that remained his most famous and lasting work.

Fouqué lived through a period of great enthusiasm for Romantic writing, and although his wider reputation faded after his lifetime, Undine kept his name alive for later readers. He died in Berlin on January 23, 1843.