Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776-1822) was a writer, artist and composer, and one of the major figures of the German Romantic movement. Raised in a strict, pious household, Hoffmann qualified in law and held a series of posts in the Prussian bureaucracy, living variously in Berlin, Warsaw and smaller provincial cities. A tendency to dissolution and a scandal caused by his caricatures of military officers created several setbacks in his official career, but his efforts as a writer and composer grew increasing praise and attention, and he eventually abandoned work for the Prussian state to collaborate with various theatre and opera companies and write stories. Sadly, his drinking kept pace with his renown, and he died of complications from syphilis and alcohol abuse aged only 46. His darkly imaginative works are still celebrated as foundational texts of modern sci-fi, fantasy and horror, and his writing inspired Freud, as well as forming the basis for two famous ballets, The Nutcracker and Coppélia, and the opera Tales of Hoffmann.