One of the greatest German lyric poets fusing classical and Christian themes in his works. Born in Lauffen am Neckar, he started writing poems at the age of 14 and entered the University of Tübingenin1788, where he studied theology obtaining a masters degree. In 1793 he met Friedrich von Schiller who published some of his poems. Hölderlin’s life was never settled or happy lacking both money and recognition and his socially suspect love affair with a married woman finally drove him to insanity, living the last 36 years of his life under its shadow.
He once wrote: ‘I am mortal, born to love and to suffer’.
