How did Friedrich Schiller’s illness affect the final years of his life?

Friedrich Schiller’s health declined significantly in 1791 due to the strain of overwork, leading to a persistent combination of chest and digestive disorders from which he never fully recovered. While this illness made the remainder of his life a "losing battle," it paradoxically provided a period of "great good luck" for his literary career.12

To allow him time to recuperate, two Danish patrons granted Schiller a generous three-year pension. This financial security enabled him to step back from his professional duties and dedicate himself to the study of Immanuel Kant’s philosophy. This intellectual engagement resulted in a series of influential essays on aesthetics and moral experience, as well as the creation of exquisite "philosophical lyrics".2

Despite his failing health, which he fought with "superb fortitude," Schiller entered his most productive classical period, working against time to produce major dramas such as the Wallenstein cycle, Maria Stuart, and Wilhelm Tell. He continued this intense creative output until his death in 1805, while he was working on a new play titled Demetrius.21