F. de La Motte Fouqué infused a spirit of poetry into the chivalry drama. Klemens Brentano was a fantastic dramatist unsuited to the stage. Here a feeble outgrowth of the romanticists, the "destiny dramatists" Z. Werner[297]--the most original of the group--A. Müllner,[298] and Baron C. E. v. Houwald,[299] achieved a temporary _furore_; and it was with an attempt in the same direction[300] that the Austrian dramatist F. Grillparzer began his long career. He is assuredly, what he pronounced himself to be, the foremost of the later dramatic poets of Germany, unless that tribute be thought due to the genius of H. von Kleist, who in his short life produced, besides other works, a romantic drama[301] and a rustic comedy[302] of genuine merit, and an historical tragedy of singular originality and power.[303] Grillparzer's long series of plays includes poetic dramas on classical themes[304] and historical subjects from Austrian history,[305] or treated from an Austrian point of view. The romantic school, which through Tieck had satirized the drama of the _bourgeoisie_ and its offshoots, was in its turn satirized by Count A. von Platen-Hallermund's admirable imitations of Aristophanic comedy.[306] Among the objects of his banter were the popular playwright E. Raupach, and K. Immermann, a true poet, who is, however, less generally remembered as a dramatist. F. Hebbel[307] is justly ranked high among the foremost later dramatic poets of his country, few of whom equal him in intensity. The eminent lyrical (especially ballad) poet L. Uhland left behind him a large number of dramatic fragments, but little or nothing really complete. Other names of literary mark are those of C. D. Grabbe, J. Mosen, O. Ludwig[308] (1813-1865), a dramatist of great power, and "F. Halm" (Baron von Münch-Bellinghausen) (1806-1871), and, among writers of a more modern school, K. Gutzkow,[309] G. Freytag,[310] and H. Laube.[311] L. Anzengruber, a writer of real genius though restricted range, imparted a new significance to the Austrian popular drama,[312] formerly so commonplace in the hands of F. Raimund and J. Nestroy.
The German stage of the latter half of the 19th century.