Heinrich von Kleist came from an old noble Pomeranian family. In accordance with tradition, he joined the Royal Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 15 (Regiment Garde) at the age of 14. After seven years of military service, he resigned "out of an inclination for the sciences" and began studies at the Brandenburg State University in his native city of Frankfurt an der Oder. In the spring of 1800, Kleist became engaged to Wilhelmine von Zenge, daughter of the city's commander, but by August 1800 he had already broken off his studies and left Frankfurt, only ever returning for a few days thereafter. He traveled to Würzburg and Paris, and spent several months in Switzerland. There his first work ‘Die Familie Schroffenstein’ was published in 1803.
“I want to feed myself now
through my dramatic works.“
Heinrich von Kleist
After voluntarily renouncing a career as a civil servant, Kleist lived as a freelance writer in Dresden, Prague and Berlin from 1807. He published an art journal and a daily newspaper; in all, Kleist left behind 8 dramas, 8 stories, 2 essays, 29 poems, 12 essays, 3 fables, 55 epigrams, 1 idyll, and 17 anecdotes. Three of his dramas were first performed during his lifetime.
On November 21, 1811, Heinrich von Kleist shot Henriette Vogel, an acquaintance from his Berlin circles, and himself. Both were buried directly at the place of death on the Kleine Wannsee near Berlin.
November 1802
‘Die Familie Schroffenstein’ published by Heinrich Gessner, Bern and Zurich 1803 [predated].
December 1802–July 1803
stay in Weimar, Leipzig, Dresden
August–December 1803
Trip to Switzerland and France
Late October, mid-December 1803
Attempts to join French army
January 9, 1804
First performance of ‘Die Familie Schroffenstein’ at the National Theatre Graz
August 1804
positive answer to the request to join the civil service
May 1805–August 1806
Work as paid trainee at the War and Domain Chamber in Königsberg (today Kaliningrad, Russia)
January 31, 1807
Arrested in French-occupied Berlin as a supposed war spy
February–July 1807
State and prisoner of war in Fort de Joux and Châlons sur Marne
May 1807
‘Amphitryon’ published by Christoph Arnold in Dresden
September 10–15, 1807
‘Jeronimo and Josephe. Eine Scene aus dem Erdbeben in Chili, vom Jahr 1647’ in the journal ‘Morgenblatt für gebildete Stände’.
September 1807–April 1809
Stay in Dresden
January 1808–March 1809
Editor of the journal ‘Phöbus. A Journal for the Arts’
March 2, 1808
First performance of ‘Der zerbrochne Krug’ at the Court Theater Weimar
July 1808
‘Penthesilea’ published by Johann Friedrich Cotta in Tübingen
April–November 1809
Stay in Bohemia
June 12, 1809
Application to publish a patriotic weekly magazine called 'Germania'.
February 1810–November 1811
Stay in Berlin
March 17, 1810
First performance of ‘Das Käthchen von Heilbronn’ at the Theater an der Wien
September 1810
‘Tales’ published by Georg Andreas Reimer in Berlin: ‘Michael Kohlhaas’, ‘The Marquise of O....’, ‘The Earthquake in Chili’
‘Das Käthchen von Heilbronn’ published by Georg Andreas Reimer in Berlin
October 1, 1810–March 31, 1811
Publisher of the daily newspaper ‘Berliner Abendblätter’.
February 1811
‘Der zerbrochne Krug’ published by Georg Andreas Reimer in Berlin
March 25–April 5, 1811
‘Die Verlobung’ in the journal ‘Der Freimüthige oder Berlinisches Unterhaltungsblatt für gebildete, unbefangene Leser’ (The liberal or Berlin entertainment journal for educated, unbiased readers)
April 23, 1811
pantomimic performance of some scenes from ‘Penthesilea’ at the Berlin National Theater
August 1811
‘Erzählungen. Zweiter Theil’ published by Georg Andreas Reimer in Berlin: ‘Die Verlobung in St. Domingo’, ‘Das Bettelweib von Locarno’, ‘Der Findling’, ‘Die heilige Cäcilie oder die Gewalt der Musik’, ‘Der Zweikampf’
September 7, 1811
Application for re-enlistment in the army, answer: only in case of war
November 21, 1811
Suicide, together with Henriette Vogel