The first comprehensive biography of Hebbel introduces the eccentric intellectual and poet, highlights the urgency of his themes, and reinterprets his work. "For over a hundred years, we have been waiting for a Hebbel biography," wrote Jürgen Kaube in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung during the anniversary year. Finally, Monika Ritzer presents the first extensive study of this still frequently performed playwright and traces the life of the eccentric intellectual and poet. Monika Ritzer reveals the urgency of his thinking and showcases life and work within the spectrum of a culturally and politically dynamic era, which Hebbel, a contemporary of Wagner and Marx, actively shaped both as an artist and a journalist. The book follows the significant stages of his life (Hamburg, Heidelberg, Munich, Copenhagen, Paris, Rome, Naples, Vienna, and London) in an engaging narrative and offers contemporary interpretations.