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Ernst Theodor Amadeus (E. T. A.) Hoffmann was a writer, artist, and musician whose literary works had a significant impact on the Romantic movement of the nineteenth century. Known for including elements of fantasy and the macabre in his stories, he strongly rejected the rational, scientific themes which many Enlightenment-era thinkers explored. Hoffmann believed in the value of creativity and the power of imagination, often combining these themes with darker elements in order to highlight the social ills of his time. This approach allowed him to craft memorable tales which ultimately influenced other famous writers of the period such as Edgar Allan Poe and Fyodor Dostoevsky. The tension between imagination and reality that Hoffmann explores in works like “The Nutcracker and the Mouse-King” has roots in his personal struggles to make art the focus of his life, and this link hints at the importance of his biography when it comes to understanding his creative philosophy.
Hoffmann was born on January 24, 1776 in Königsberg, Prussia, known today as Kaliningrad, Russia. He was the youngest of three children, and after his father left with the family’s oldest son, his mother decided to raise him with the help of her brother and two sisters. Young Hoffmann showed both musical and artistic talents during his years in school, although he lacked the resources to finesse his skills. Despite his passion for the arts, however, he eventually began pursuing a career in law like many family members had done before him. This path took him out into the Polish provinces at the turn of the century where he worked as a law clerk. By 1804, he had moved to Warsaw, but Napoleon’s invasion in 1806 caused him to lose his job and drove him to flee with his family to Berlin. Hoffmann had been writing, composing, and painting as he began his legal career, but he hoped to use his move to Berlin as an opportunity to focus more on his artistic endeavors.
Hoffmann’s first years in Berlin proved to be a challenge given the toll of the war and his inability to hold a job. He attempted to work as a theatre manager and music critic, but these opportunities were short-lived and failed to provide him with any financial stability. He continued writing and composing, however, and his first glimpse of success came in 1809 when he published the story “Ritter Gluck.” The pressures of the war eventually forced Hoffmann back into his old career as a jurist, but he went on to publish numerous literary and musical works throughout the last ten years of his life. Notable examples include novels such as The Devil’s Elixers (1815) and The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr (1819-21), short stories such as “The Sandman” (1816) and “The Nutcracker and the Mouse-King” (1816), and musical compositions such as his opera Undine (1816). These works helped cement Hoffmann as a key figure in the German Romantic movement.
Unfortunately, the last few years of Hoffmann’s life were full of difficulties. He drank frequently, faced legal challenges, and eventually underwent liver failure and paralysis. He ultimately died in 1822 at age 46, leaving behind a collection of over 50 stories and numerous musical compositions.
