Grimmelshausen, Hans Jakob Christoffel von (1622?-1676), was a German author. His novel Simplicissimus (1668) is one of the major works of German literature. In it, he described the adventures of a youth caught in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). The youth finally gains peace of mind as a hermit.
Grimmelshausen was born in Gelnhausen. As a youth, he apparently lost his parents in the Thirty Years’ War and was taken from his home as a prisoner. These experiences seem to have been the beginning of a colorful series of adventures which he wove into his many prose works. He died on Aug. 17, 1676.
