Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
German writer, philosopher, publicist, and art critic
- Lived
- 1729–1781
- Country
- Electorate of Saxony
Updated September 2026
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About Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic. He was a representative of the Enlightenment. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature. He is widely considered by theatre historians to be the first dramaturg in his role at Abel Seyler's Hamburg National Theatre. The word "dramaturgy" first appears in his work Hamburg Dramaturgy.
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.