BECKER, HEINRICH (177o-1822), German actor, whose real name was BLUMENTHAL, was born at Berlin. He obtained, while quite a young man, an appointment in the court theatre at Weimar, at that time under Goethe's auspices. The poet appointed him stage-manager, entrusted him with leading parts, and consulted him on the staging of his plays. Becker, although he was at his best in comedy, played Vansen in Egmont, the leading parts of several of Schiller's plays—notably Burleigh in Maria Stuart, Karl Moor in Die Rauber, and Antonio in Torquato Tasso. Becker left Weimar in the spring of 1809, played for a short time at Hamburg (under Schroder) and at Breslau, and then began a wandering life. Broken in health and ruined in fortune he returned in 1820 to Weimar, where he died in 1822.
Becker was twice married. His first wife, CHRISTIANE LUISE AMALIE BECKER (1778-97) , played Euphrosyne in the opera Das Petermdnnchen, and it is under this name that Goethe immortal ized her in a poem which first appeared in Schiller's Musen Almanach of 1799.