Friedrich Theodor Vischer

Born in Stuttgart in 1807, Friedrich Theodor Vischer was a German novelist, poet, dramatist, and influential writer on aesthetics. He studied theology at the University of Tübingen, but his reputation grew through literary criticism and philosophy rather than church work.

Vischer became especially important for his writings on art and beauty, most notably his large-scale work on aesthetics. He also taught at the university level and took part in the intellectual and political life of 19th-century Germany during a period of major upheaval and debate.

Many readers remember him best for Auch Einer (1879), a humorous and unusual novel that helped popularize the idea sometimes translated as the "spite of objects" — the feeling that ordinary things mysteriously conspire against us. He died in 1887, but his mix of philosophy, satire, and sharp observation has kept his work alive.