HARTLEBEN, Otto Erich, German dramatist and short-story writer: b. at Claus thal in the Harz Mountains, 3 June 1864; d. at Salo on Lago di Garda, 11 Feb. 1905. He re ceived a regular middle-class education, pro ceeding, after the completion of his gymnasium course, to the universities of Leipzig and Ber lin for the study of law (1886-89), became a "Referendar° at the "Kammergericht° at Ber lin in 1889 and was assigned to various small judicial positions at Stolherg and Magdeburg, giving up this calling in 1891 to become a free lance in literature, with his home at Berlin. His life was so full of exertions of every sort that he had a nervous breakdown in 1900 and had to go to a sanatorium, after being dis charged from which he settled on Lago di Garda, where he died of heart-failure induced by a previous haemorrhage. In the movement known in Germany as "Die Moderne,')Hartle ben was the most ingratiating and pleasing styl ist, presenting, in his short stories, accounts that are full of wit, humor and satire; the best of these are 'Die Geschichte vom abgeriss nenen Knopf' (1893, dramatized as 'Die and 'Der gastfreie Pastor' (1895).
Two of his dramas have held the stage for years: the comedy 'Die sittliche Forderung> (1898) and the tragedy (with' excellent milieu treatment) 'Rosenmontag) (1900; 17th ed., 1907). His plays lack energy and grandeur but have much irony, good humor and mood-paint ing, which is also the case with his lyric poems. (Consult Pollard, Percival, 'Masks and Min strels,' Boston 1911). His other works are 'Studententagebuch' (poems 1885-86) • 'Hanna Jagert' (comedy 1893) ; Ehrenwort> (drama 1894); (comedy Verse (poems 1895); Ein wahrhaft guter Mensch' (comedy 1899 'Ausgewahlte Werke> (in 3 vols.. ed. with Introd. by F. F. Heitmiiller, Berlin 1909).