Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg

Heinrich Wilhelm von Gerstenberg (born Jan. 3, 1737, Tondern, Schleswig [now Tønder, Den.]—died Nov. 1, 1823, Altona, near Hamburg [Germany]) was a German poet, critic, and theorist of the Sturm und Drang (“Storm and Stress”) literary movement. His work, Briefe über die Merkwürdigkeiten der Literatur (1766–67; “Letters About the Peculiarities of Literature”) contained the first definite formulation of the critical principles of this movement: its enthusiasm for Shakespeare, its preoccupation with youthful genius, and its...