Gotthold Ephraim Lessing | |
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 Portrait of Lessing by Anna Rosina Lisiewska during his time as dramaturg of Abel Seyler's Hamburg National Theatre (1767/1768) | |
| Born | 22 January 1729 Kamenz, Upper Lusatia, Saxony, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 15 February 1781 (aged 52) Braunschweig, Brunswick-Lüneburg, Holy Roman Empire |
| Occupation | Writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, art critic, and dramaturg |
| Alma mater | Leipzig University University of Wittenberg |
| Notable works | Miss Sara Sampson, Emilia Galotti, Minna von Barnhelm, Nathan the Wise, Laocoön, Hamburgische Dramaturgie |
| Spouse | Eva König |
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Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (German: [ˈɡɔthɔlt ˈʔeːfʁa.ɪm ˈlɛsɪŋ] ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature. He is widely considered by theatre historians to be the first dramaturg in his role at Abel Seyler's Hamburg National Theatre.[1]