On the 200th anniversary of the death of the renowned lyric poet Matthias Claudius (1740-1815), Reiner Strunk highlights the life stages of the Wandsbecker Bote. His work reflects the intellectual and political circumstances of the historical period and serves as a testament to unmistakable originality. The poet of "The Moon Has Risen" surprises with his enduring relevance, and a number of songs and poems belong to the invaluable treasure of German-language poetry.