Gerhart Hauptmann

Profession: Dramatist, Author and Nobel Laureate

Nationality:

Biography: Gerhart Hauptmann was the most notable German dramatist of the early 20th century and is credited with bringing a new naturalism to the German stage.

Hauptmann wrote his first play "Before Sunrise" (Vor Sonnenaufgang) aged 27 and its shocking new naturalism created a scandal and made his name on its debut on the Berlin stage in 1889.

Other more famous dramas followed including "The Weavers" (1892) and "The Rats" (1911). His dramas often included realistic social issues such as poverty and the effects of societal restrictions placed on peoples lives. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1912.

Born: November 15, 1862
Birthplace: Salzbrunn, Prussia (now Germany)
Star Sign: Scorpio

Died: June 6, 1946 (aged 83)