Bürger, Gottfried August

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Gottfried August Bürger (gôt´frēt ou´gŏŏst bür´gər), 1747–94, German poet. He is best known for his ballads in folk-song style; the famous Lenore (1773) was widely translated and had far-reaching influence. Bürger edited and wrote for the Göttingen Musenalmanach and taught aesthetics at the Univ. of Göttingen. He translated many works of Homer, Shakespeare, and others, as well as the famous stories of Baron Münchausen. His unconventional approach to poetry was severely criticized by Schiller.