Gerdt von Bassewitz

Born on January 4, 1878, in Allewind in the Kingdom of Württemberg, Gerdt von Bassewitz was a German writer, playwright, actor, and former lieutenant in the Prussian militia. He worked in and around the theater, and that theatrical background shaped the lively, imaginative style of his writing.

His lasting reputation rests on Peterchens Mondfahrt (Little Peter's Journey to the Moon). The story first found success as a stage play in Leipzig in 1912 and was later published as a book in 1915, going on to become the work for which he is still best known.

After that success, he continued his stage-related work and later lived in Berlin as a freelance writer. He died in Berlin on February 6, 1923, but Peterchens Mondfahrt kept his name alive through later editions, adaptations, and generations of young readers.