Heinrich von Kleist

Heinrich von Kleist (1777–1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. Born in Frankfurt an der Oder, he wrote boldly across several forms, producing works known for their intensity, sharp conflicts, and unpredictable turns. His major plays include The Broken Jug, Amphitryon, Penthesilea, and The Prince of Homburg.

Kleist’s prose works, especially Michael Kohlhaas and The Marquise of O., remain among the most widely read examples of German Romantic literature. His career was brief and troubled, and he died in 1811 at Kleiner Wannsee near Berlin in a suicide pact with a close friend. The prestigious Kleist Prize for German literature was later named in his honor.