He was born on 15/01/1791 in Vienna. Encouraged by his father, he entered the University of Vienna in 1807 to study law. However, he showed a strong literary urge early on, which he did not leave untapped. From 1807 to 1809, influenced by Schiller's tragedy Don Carlos, he wrote his first long tragedy entitled Blanca von Kastilien. In 1817, the cruel tragedy Die Ahnfrau was premiered, arousing the interest of the public and making Grillparzer famous. A year later, inspired by Greek antiquity, he wrote the tragedy Sappho, which received rave reviews, was translated into many languages and remains one of his most popular works to this day. In 1821, he completed the composition of the trilogy Das Goldene Vlies, which was described by many critics as his greatest work. Ten years later, again inspired by Greece, he wrote the tragedy Hero and Leander, which is also one of his most important works. He died in Vienna on 21/01/1872 and was one of the most important dramatists of the 19th century. His writing style was influenced by Spanish drama and Viennese popular theatre, whilst the characters in his plays oscillated between a passion for life and an appeal for peace of mind. The musical tragedy Hero and Leander was performed at the Greek National Opera (1970). // Last update of the biography: March 2024 - The list of the productions below is complete.