Heinrich Heine

1797 – 1856 · died at about 59^[1][2]

Literature

Fun Facts About Heinrich Heine

• Heinrich Heine wrote in 1823 that "where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people as well." In 1933 the Nazis burned his own books in Berlin, where the line is now engraved.^[1]
• In an 1844 music review, Heine wrote about "Lisztomania," the intense fan frenzy around Franz Liszt's performances.^[1][3][4]
• Heine was born Harry Heine and became Heinrich after converting from Judaism to Lutheranism in 1825, a step he called "the ticket of admission into European culture."^[1]
• Karl Marx was Heine's distant relative and an admirer. In Paris they became friends, and Heine published poems in Marx's journal Vorwärts.^[1][5][6]
• A fountain honoring Heine was rejected in his hometown of Düsseldorf amid antisemitic and nationalist criticism, and ended up in the Bronx in New York City.^[1]
• Heine's poems were set to music by many composers, including Robert Schumann in his song cycle Dichterliebe, Franz Schubert, Franz Liszt and Felix Mendelssohn.^{[1][3][4][7][8][9][10]}
• Heinrich Heine was alive at the same time as George Washington — their lives overlapped for 2 years (1797–1799).^{[1][2][11][12]}
• Heinrich Heine shares a birthday with Taylor Swift: both were born on December 13.^{[1][2][13][14]}

Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert.^[1]

Contemporaries

Jacob Grimm

59 yr overlap

Michael Faraday

59 yr overlap

Charles Babbage

59 yr overlap

Arthur Schopenhauer

59 yr overlap

Carl Friedrich Gauss

58 yr overlap

Victor Hugo

54 yr overlap

Mary Shelley

54 yr overlap

Alexandre Dumas

54 yr overlap

Ralph Waldo Emerson

53 yr overlap

Hokusai

52 yr overlap

George Sand

52 yr overlap

Hans Christian Andersen

51 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Heinrich Heine

When was Heinrich Heine born?

Heinrich Heine was born on December 13, 1797, and died on February 17, 1856.

How old was Heinrich Heine at death?

Heinrich Heine was born on December 13, 1797, and died on February 17, 1856, at age 58.

What was Heinrich Heine known for?

Heinrich Heine was known for: German Romantic poet. Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert.

Who was alive at the same time as Heinrich Heine?

Heinrich Heine's closest contemporary was Jacob Grimm. Their lives overlapped for 59 years.