born Jan. 15, 1791, Vienna
died Jan. 21, 1872, Vienna
Austrian dramatist.
He spent much of his life in government service. His early tragedies include The Ancestress (1817), Sappho (1818), and the pessimistic The Golden Fleece (1821). The Waves of Sea and Love (1831) is often considered his greatest tragedy; another masterpiece is A Dream Is Life (1834), an Austrian Faust . Three other tragedies were found among his papers after his death. His works were belatedly recognized to be among the greatest works of the Austrian stage.