IFFLAND, AUGUST WILHELM (1759-1814), German actor and dramatic author, was born at Hanover on April 19, At 18 the boy ran away to Gotha in order to prepare himself for a theatrical career. He was taught by Hans Ekhof, and in 1779 was engaged at the Mannheim theatre, then rising into prominence. In 1796 he settled in Berlin, where he became director of the national theatre of Prussia; and in 181 i he was made general director of all representations before royalty. Iffland produced the classical works of Goethe and Schiller with con scientious care ; but the kind of play in which he was most at home, both as actor and playwright, was the domestic drama, the sentimental play of everyday life. Among his best-known plays are Die Jager, Dienstpflicht, Die Advokaten, Die Mifndel and Die Hagestolzen. In 1798-1802 he issued his Dramatische Werke in 16 volumes, to which he added an autobiography (Meine the atralische Laufbahn). In 1807-09 Iffland brought out two vol umes of Neue dramatische Werke. Iffland died at Berlin on Sept.
22, 1814.
See K. Duncker, Iffland in seinen Schri f ten als Kiunstler, Lehrer, and Direktor der Berliner Biihne (1859) ; W. Koffka, and Dalberg (1865) ; and Lampe, Studien fiber I Band als Dramatiker (Celle, 1$99) Iffland'B interesting autobiography, Meine theatralische Laufbahn, was republished by H. Holstein in 1885.