Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Hugo Von Hofmannsthal was born on February 1, 1874, in Vienna. A descendant of an affluent Austrian family, he studied law in his hometown but devoted himself to literature early on. He was associated with the avant-garde group Jung Wien and wrote poetry. His acquaintance with Richard Strauss in 1900 led to a fruitful collaboration, with Hofmannsthal writing the librettos for several of the composer's operas ("Elektra," "Ariadne on Naxos," "The Woman Without a Shadow," "Der Rosenkavalier," among others). His works vividly captured the crisis of the early 20th century. During World War I, he wrote propagandistic government speeches and, in the post-war period, turned to more religious themes. On July 13, 1929, his son committed suicide, and two days later, Hofmannsthal himself passed away from a heart attack. His significant contributions also include the founding of the Salzburg Festival (1922), in collaboration with director Max Reinhardt.