author
Gustav Schilling
1766–1839
A prolific German writer from Dresden, he published poems, tales, and novels, sometimes under the playful pseudonym Zebedäus Kukuk, der jüngere. His work belongs to the lively literary world of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and he is still remembered for his storytelling as well as for an erotic novel that kept his name in circulation.
1 Audiobook
Der Weihnacht-Abend
by Gustav Schilling
About the author
Born in Dresden on November 25, 1766, Friedrich Gustav Schilling was a German poet, novelist, and man of letters. He first pursued a military career, entering service in the 1780s and later leaving the army as a captain. After that, he devoted himself more fully to writing and literary life, living in places including Freiburg before returning to Dresden.
Schilling published a wide range of work, especially narratives and novels, and also wrote under the pseudonym Zebedäus Kukuk, der jüngere. Some of his early poems appeared in Schiller's journal Thalia, which connects him to an important literary circle of the period. His writing seems to have favored readable, popular storytelling rather than high theory, which helps explain his broad output.
He died in Dresden on July 30, 1839. Although he is not among the best-known German authors today, he left behind a substantial body of work and remains a recognizable figure in German literary reference sources.