Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered to be one of Germany's most important classical playwrights. He was one of the most important figures of the Sturm und Drang movement. November 10, 1759 – May 9, 1805; died at 45. Alive at the same time as Napoleon, Ludwig van Beethoven, Immanuel Kant, Carl Linnaeus, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Wiki link