Michael Beer (poet)

Michael Beer (August 22, 1800 – March 21, 1833) was a German Jewish poet and dramatist. Born in Berlin, he came from a wealthy and cultured family. Beer is best known for his historical tragedy Struensee, which premiered in 1828 and was met with considerable success. It tells the story of Johann Friedrich Struensee, the physician and de facto regent of Denmark, and his tragic downfall. Beer also wrote other plays, including Der Paria and Clytämnestra. While initially influenced by Romanticism, his later works exhibited a shift towards a more classical style. Though his career was cut short by his early death from tuberculosis, Beer was a respected figure in the literary circles of his time and a close friend of Giacomo Meyerbeer, his cousin. His collected works were published posthumously.