Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen, German author, c. 1622-1676

In 1668, Grimmelshausen published "Der abenteuerliche Simplicissimus Teutsch", which has been called the greatest German novel of the 17th century. For this work he took as his model the picaresque romances of Spain, already to some extent known in Germany. "Simplicissimus" has been interpreted as its author’s autobiography; he begins with the childhood of his hero, and describes the latter's adventures amid the stirring scenes of the Thirty Years’ War. The rustic detail with which these pictures are presented makes the book a valuable document of its time. For some, however, the later parts of the book overindulge in allegory, and finally become a Robinson Crusoe story.