Büchner was a German playwright from the early 19th Century who, due to his unfortunate early death, only ever wrote 3 plays during his life. He was born on the 17th October 1813 in Goddelau, Hesse-Darmstadt and given the full name of Karl Georg Büchner. He was born into a family of doctors, with his father being one in the army, and it was expected of him to also study medicine which he did in Strasbourg. During his time in Strasbourg, Büchner started to develop an interest in politics and literature, particularly French literature. He became part of a political student movement while studying which would go on to inspire some of his work.
When he returned back home to Hesse after completing his studies, he founded an underground society of his own called the ‘Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte’ (which translates as Society for Human Rights). He was motivated through this to write his first piece of work with the help of a theologist by the name of Friedrich Ludwig Weidig which was a pamphlet that essentially encouraged people to revolt against the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The pamphlet was named ‘Der Hessische Landbote’ (which translates as The Hessian Courier) and has gone on to be considered one of the best political leaflets in the German language. However, once the authorities discovered it Büchner and Weidig were wanted for treason. While Weidig was arrested, Büchner managed to escape by fleeing back to Strasbourg where he completed his studies and started to write his first plays.
The following year (1835) he completed his first full play that was titled Danton’s Death and was a tragedy set during the French Revolution. He has secretly been writing it the year before but had to put a sudden hold on finishing it after the want for his arrest. Büchner then wrote a short story titled Lenz before writing his next full play called Leonce and Lena which was a romantic comedy in 1936.
It is suggested that during the same year Büchner started work on what was to be his next play entitled Woyzeck. However in 1837 Büchner contracted typhus and, after 17 days, died on the 19th February at the age of 23 in Zurich, leaving Woyzeck unfinished. It would be nearly 60 years after his death before any of his plays were performed in front of an audience and almost 100 years before they were translated into English.
– Charlotte.