Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend

German periodical

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June 22, 2026

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Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend was a German periodical published from 1761 to 1766. It was co-edited by Friedrich Nicolai, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, and Moses Mendelssohn. The periodical focused on literary criticism and discussions of contemporary literature. Nicolai was a prominent figure in the German Enlightenment and a writer and bookseller who championed English literature and critiqued established literary norms, often clashing with figures like Johann Christoph Gottsched. The Briefe was part of a broader intellectual movement that engaged with the evolving literary landscape of Germany.1

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Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Rising reputation as dramatist and critic.
…contributed regularly to Nicolai’s weekly, Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend (“Letters Concerning the Latest Literature”), writing a number of essays on contemporary literature. The central point of these was a vigorous attack on the influential theatre critic J.C. Gottsched for his advocacy of a theatre modeled on French drama, especially…
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…contributed regularly to Nicolai’s weekly, Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend (“Letters Concerning the Latest Literature”), writing a number of essays on contemporary literature. The central point of these was a vigorous attack on the influential theatre critic J.C. Gottsched for his advocacy of a theatre modeled on French drama, especially…
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Friedrich Nicolai
…with both Lessing and Mendelssohn, Briefe, die neueste Litteratur betreffend (1761–66; “Letters on the Modern Literary Question”). He also edited the Allgemeine deutsche Bibliothek (1765–92), the organ of the “popular philosophers” who fought against authority in religion and what they conceived to be extravagance in literature. Nicolai showed a complete…
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…with both Lessing and Mendelssohn, Briefe, die neueste Litteratur betreffend (1761–66; “Letters on the Modern Literary Question”). He also edited the Allgemeine deutsche Bibliothek (1765–92), the organ of the “popular philosophers” who fought against authority in religion and what they conceived to be extravagance in literature. Nicolai showed a complete…
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