MORITZ, ma'rits, Karl Philipp, German author: b. Hameln, 15 Sept. 1756; d. Berlin, 26 July 1793. He was born of poor parents and became one of the most extraordinary figures in the Sturm and Drang (Storm and Stress) period. After distressful attempts to gain a living he caught the attention of a patron in Hanover and entered the gymnasium to reach quick promotion, but soon accepted engagement as actor under Ekhof at Gotha, failing in which he returned to study (1776) at Erfurt; but tiring again he joined the Herrnhuter (Moravian) at Barby, and studied theology at Wittenberg (1777) ; then taught philanthropy at the Potsdam military orphan age, soon again to take to wandering. Teach ing in Berlin, he made a reputation as writer, preacher and poet, and went to England; then became professor at the Kfilnisches Gymna sium; next tried editing the V ctssische Zeitung to make it proletarian, but failed. Later, he traveled to Italy (1786) where he met Goethe, who made a favorable influence on his mind, and on his return to Germany he took up residence as Goethe's guest at Weimar.
Duke Karl August aided him to a membership in the Berlin Academy of Sciences and he be came (1789) professor of antiquities at the Berlin Academy of Art. He wrote much of his life's vicissitudes into his works, notably. 'Anton Reiser' (Berlin 1785-90), an autobi ographical novel; < Andreas Hartkopf' (lb. 1786), also contains other elements from his life. Other important works are Wersuch einer deutschen Prosodic' (Berlin 1786• later ed., 1815) ; Weber die bildende Nachahmung des Schonen' (Brunswick 1788; Heilbronn 1888) (_Berlin 1791 10th ed., 1851) • (Reisen eincs Deutschen in England' (ib. 1783) ; 'Reisen eines Deutschen in Italien' (ib. 1792-93). Consult Dessoir, 'Karl Philipp Moritz als Aesthetiker' (Berlin 1889); Eibisch, Hugo, 'Anton Reisers kritische Autobiog raphic' (Leipzig 1909).