Carl Zuckmayer

The facts: Carl Michael Bellmann, born in 1740 in Stockholm as the oldest son of wealthy parents, died in the same place of tuberculosis. He was first an assistant at the Sveriges Riksbank, studied for a short time in Uppsala, and then went back to the bank, but had to flee to Norway in 1763 because of debt. After his return, he became a customs officer and later became secretary to the national lottery by favour of King Gustav III, who held him in high esteem as a poet. After the assassination of the King, he suffered hardship and was even put into debtor’s prison in 1794.