Why did Gotthold Ephraim Lessing leave Leipzig in 1748?

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German dramatist and critic Gotthold Lessing — Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Gotthold Lessing, detail of an oil painting by Georg May, 1768; in the Gleimhaus, Halberstadt, Germany.

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing left Leipzig in 1748 primarily to avoid being arrested for debt.

While studying at the university, Lessing had become deeply involved with the theatre company of Caroline Neuber. Despite his own financial struggles, he had generously stood surety for members of her company. When the theatre troupe folded, Lessing found himself in significant financial difficulty and fled the city to escape the legal consequences of his debts. He subsequently traveled to Berlin, where he sought to establish a career as a journalist.1