Klinger, Friedrich Maximilian von

Klinger, Friedrich Maximilian von frēˈdrĭkh mäkˌsēmēˈlyän fən klĭngˈər [key], 1752–1831, German dramatist. A friend of the young Goethe, he was a playwright for a theatrical troupe and later an army officer. His early work typified the Sturm und Drang period, so named after his play Wirrwarr; oder, Sturm und Drang [confusion; or, storm and stress] (1776); his later plays, influenced by Schiller and Iffland, are more reserved in tone. Klinger's other works include the play The Twins (1776) and the novel Faust's Life, Deeds, and Journey to Hell (1791, tr. 1825).

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